THANK YOU!

All I can say today is, THANK YOU!

If our lads can continue to play football every match like they played in yesterday’s second half, then I believe we will continue to climb the Premier League table.

It was a solid team performance. It was unselfish, spirited, controlled, disciplined and pretty to watch. THANK YOU!

Maybe this is what Mikel Arteta has been trying to accomplish all along. Kudos for a job well done, and on top of that the Gunners are now back into the league’s top ten!

Overall, five straight matches without a defeat, including four of those in the league. After a very poor run of games in November and December, the mojo appears to be back, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is once again scoring goals. Three in his last three games!

In my opinion, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have secured their places in the starting XI. Thomas Partey is back in form and is creating a solid partnership with Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder is now playing his best football as a Gunner. Even little used Cedric Soares made a terrific contribution against the Magpies yesterday which lead to Auba’s second goal.

Really, the entire cast of characters all contributed to a really terrific win.. This was one of the best matches to watch so far this season. Please, let there be more!

Next up is either Shrewsbury Town or Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup 5th Round match. The Gunners’ opponent will be decided later today. Then, between that game and the 6th of February, Arsenal  have Southampton away, table topper Manchester United at home, followed by Wolves and Aston Villa both away. Obviously, the road ahead doesn’t get an easier. In fact, it gets harder as the Gunners turn the corner and head into the second half of the season.

Also, in the next 14 days there will be more comings and goings in the squad. With Mesut Ozil now in Turkey, the Arsenal brass should have more money to spend in this transfer window. A back-up goalkeeper, another creative midfielder, and a right fullback top my current list of needs for the Gunners squad.

So, we are now back to .500 in the Premier League with a 8-3-8 record. It’s been a rollercoaster ride up to this point, however, if the last five games are any indication of what this team can do, then I think the second half record will improve tremendously. Also, let’s not forget the Europa League and the FA Cup. There’s a lot on the Gunners” plate, but as always, hope springs eternal!

Again, THANK YOU for yesterday!

Cheers.

Gunner1953