Arsenal: The one big takeaway from Sokratis’s assessment

Arsenal centerback Sokratis had some things to say after the Bournemouth win, but there is one thing in particular that stands out.

Arsenal have gotten out to a flying start under Unai Emery. While they sit outside of the top four, they sit there comfortably, just a point removed, and with a chance to vault past Tottenham if the North London Derby goes well.

Oh, and they haven’t lost in 17 matches. It’s all quite remarkable, to see a new manager come in with such immediate effectiveness that fans start to wonder if we haven’t just bypassed the whole “acclimation” period.

Well, they haven’t. Many have pointed that out, Emery included, and Sokratis pointed this out as well following the Bournemouth match, but the way that he put it makes it sound even more hopeful than what we probably already know.

Sokratis said that the club is at around 70-80%. Meaning that what we are seeing now is not the best that they can be. Plus, what we are seeing now isn’t the completion of the Emery movement, but more like the holdover, assessment period.

Yet the club has still not suffered a defeat in 17 matches, which includes a rousing 1-1 draw against undefeated Liverpool.

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And while this whole statement from Sokratis is being reported as a “warning” to all the clubs in the top four, I don’t think that is the biggest thing to take away from his statements at all. The biggest thing to takeaway is that the club is improving, and that, while things are going pretty well as is, there are only better things to come.

You don’t even have to get into injuries that much, but there are significant injuries to talk about – Koscielny in particular, Mavropanos deserves a mention, Danny Welbeck was huge, Nacho Monreal. These are all guys that Emery doesn’t currently have access too, yet the club remains unbeaten in 17.

It’s all giving Emery a gauge of how to approach transfer windows, who they will be keeping, what needs bolstering, and all of a sudden, that timetable of transition is shortening.

75-80% is just a high-C, low-B grade. Yet the team is gritty, winning ugly, a sporting a golden boot contender. Think of what it will look like when they are at 85%… 90%… hell, at 100% I fully expect world domination.

Sokratis is an experienced dude. He’s been around. His assessment can be trusted. And, that being the case, I think it’s safe to say that there are plenty of exciting times ahead.