Arsenal Vs Leicester City: Flat-track bully no small feat

Arsenal could very easily be described as a flat-track bully, bulldozing past the lesser sides and falling to the better sides. But that is no small feat and its importance should not be dismissed.

In the Premier League, all points are created equal. It doesn’t matter who the opposition is. It doesn’t matter how well or poorly you play. It doesn’t even matter how many goals you score, other than to determine the goal difference at the end of the season which only comes into play when teams’ points are equal. Three points is three points.

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It is very easy to focus on the high profile matches. Those that are played on a Sunday or Saturday lunchtime or on Monday night football. Those that are broadcast around the world, that are talked about all the more, and scrutinised that bit more intensely.

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But those high profile contests yield the same number of points as a Saturday three o’clock kick off: A win is three points; a draw is one point; a loss is no points. Nothing changes. There is often a perception of restriction and limitation regarding those teams and players that are ‘flat-track bullies’. They can only do it against the little guy. But there is value in being a team that knows how to reel off win after win after win.

This season, Arsenal are that team. They have played eight Premier League matches. They have won six and lost just two. The two losses come against teams that currently sit above them in the table, Manchester City and Chelsea, two of the three best teams in the league this season. The six wins come against teams that currently sit below them in the table.

In fact, of the six teams that Arsenal have overcome this year, three currently reside in the bottom four — Newcastle United, Fulham and Cardiff City. Only Watford and Everton are in the top half, and in those cases, the Gunners were rather fortunate to come away with the win. But they did.

The two defeats to Chelsea and City displayed a stark disparity between Unai Emery’s side and the fellow elite teams in the Premier League. The relative quality of the teams was distinct. There was a chasm between Arsenal and their apparent rivals. But since that time, Chelsea have dropped points against West Ham United and City failed to beat Wolves. Consequently, if Arsenal win against Leicester City on Monday night, they will draw level on points with Chelsea and just two behind City.

Chelsea and City may have looked like the far superior teams in those one-off contests. And they may well be far superior teams, judging by their talent on paper and the quality of their performances so far this season. But because Emery has led his team on a bulldozing run, sweeping past the lesser Premier League sides, the chasm on the pitch has not translated to the league table.

Being a flat-track bully is no mean feat. The consistency, the winning mentality, the concentration levels and incessant, blinkered focus. These are attributes that any team must have to reel off six wins in a row. And they yield a team that has the ability to challenge at the sharp end of the Premier League. Not because they are necessarily that good, but because they know how to win. That is who Arsenal are this season.