Arsenal: 4 positives from Man City horror show

2. Arsenal Have Invaluable Players Coming Back

Here it is. The excuses.

Well, frame them as you want. We’re trying to be positive and, just looking at the back five that played on Saturday, three of them won’t be starting with a fully fit squad. Four if you include the potential for more signings.

It isn’t as much as an excuse more than some hope to cling onto. The team that played in Manchester lost for a variety of reasons and if one or two more were fit for the match then it’s likely not a great deal would have changed given Xhaka would still have got himself sent off.

But there is no denying that Arsenal are a better side with Thomas Partey on the pitch. There is no denying that Ben White and Gabriel are not worse defenders than Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac.

Up until the first goal Arsenal had tried to be patient in their defensive approach and force Manchester City into wide areas where there were extra men, with the front four – which is now the first choice front four – showing some interesting positive signs in attack.

All undone by the first of many calamitous individual errors, is there anything reassuring to draw from the prospect of that front four being backed up by Premier League standard defenders and a £50m midfielder?

We have to hope so.