Arsenal vs Manchester United: 4 Talking Points From Stalemate

Corner Officially Turned?

Having managed to dig themselves into a historically deep pit, Arsenal’s season pre-Christmas was destined for nothing other than further heartbreak.

They are where they deserve to be, so now they’re starting to show some grit and invention, they’ve rewritten the narrative for the season. With seven matches unbeaten and 17 points accrued from a possible 21, they’re doing all they can to battle back into European contention.

Could they have beaten Crystal Palace? Yes. But it’s important to remember just how bad Arsenal have been for so much of the campaign. Looking at the season as if it started on Boxing Day, not too much more can be asked of the side.

Will that be enough for European qualification? It now rests on their rivals doing a reverse Arsenal. While you can only influence your own matches, whether the side can rescue their season is not only within their control.

Games against fellow top eight rivals will be more crucial than ever. A helping hand will be needed from elsewhere, if indeed this positive run is maintained heading into February.

Questions over whether it was fair to suggest Arsenal turned a corner given the quality of opposition they’ve faced, that can now be answered with seven points accrued from matches against Chelsea, Southampton and United. Their ambitions remain plausible, at least while still mathematically, but question marks over whether this run of form was its own ‘blip’ finally have its reassuring answer.

Onto Wolves.