Arsenal: Two big season defining fixtures are coming up

Upcoming fixtures against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will be two of the most important matches this season, as they will define Arsenal’s fate for the rest of the season.

Arsenal are set to face a Manchester City side that are undefeated in all competitions thus far. The Citizens have made a thunderous start to the Premier League, scoring a whopping 35 goals in 10 games, conceding only six goals. Nine of those games were won, whilst only drawing once against Everton.

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Arsenal, on the other hand, have had a troublesome start to the Premier League this season, already recording three losses and a draw. The Gunners have scored 19 goals and conceded 13 in 10 Premier League appearances this season, but are a good nine points behind the league leaders.

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The upcoming fixture at the Etihad Stadium puts Arsenal in a similar situation to last season when two very similar fixtures slumped the season for the North Londoners. After 15 Premier League games, the Gunners were sitting top of the table with two upcoming away trips to Everton and Manchester City. They were attempting to keep pace with a Chelsea side that was just beginning to hit their stride. They lost both 2-1.

The losses came after a run of 14 undefeated league games, which ultimately defined the tone for the rest of the season. They would go on to lose another six league games after the loss at the Etihad, having to change the formation to three at the back in order to gain some stability in defense. The formation change came a little too late as Arsene Wenger’s men missed out on the Champions League for the first time in his tenure.

The players must prevent a deja vu with these upcoming fixtures against the Citizens and North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. They must hope to change the fate of this season by instilling confidence within the team and performing on the big stage. The Gunners must come out with a minimum of four points in order to keep their title challenge alive, but a win over the City Blues would end their unbeaten run and open up the title race again.

Wenger has suggested Arsenal will be playing their game, meaning that he is intending to go blow for blow against a thoroughly terrifying strike force. Can the trio of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette manage to outscore such a varied and potent attack? More importantly, can the defense shut out their strikers and keep the opposition quiet, preventing them from adding to their astonishing tally of 35 goals?

The Gunners must also match the quality of a very resilient Spurs team, who just defeated the European champions in a 3-1 home win which stunned the footballing world, after the international break. If they are able to get a result at the Emirates in the North London Derby, then they could be back on track with the season and push for a title challenge.

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A positive result in both games will kick-start what has been a stop-start season thus far. The mood in the dressing room will be lifted and confidence would be oozing among the players. Negative results, however, will put the title out of reach. This is a crucial period for the season ahead. Success is paramount. It is also highly uncertain.