Arsenal’s next three Premier League games can define season

Didn’t the last one only end five minutes ago? Alas, just like a bout of indigestion after Christmas dinner, international football made an unwelcome return this week for the resumption of the Nations League and World Cup qualifiers.

The prospect of Lithuania vs Bulgaria perhaps makes even the most disillusioned Arsenal fans yearn for the rain-soaked misery of the Amex Stadium.

That being said, the last Premier League recess sparked something of a domestic resurgence for the Gunners, with our subsequent unbeaten streak and derby delight suggesting we had finally turned the season around.

However, as we look ahead to the schedule over the coming weeks, it seems that it may well be the next three games that will make up the first defining period of the campaign.

Will upcoming fixtures against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Leicester mark a defining period in Arsenal’s quest for a return to Europe? 

The first match of this supposedly favourable run takes place on October 18, when we will host an in-form Crystal Palace, led by our revered former captain Patrick Vieira. The Eagles have quelled notions of a possible relegation this season courtesy of some impressive recent results – including a 3-0 win against Sp*rs – and will fancy their chances of completing a north London double here.

Embracing a possession-based attacking philosophy with a committed high press, this encounter promises to be just as uncomfortable as last weekend’s trip to Brighton, and Arsenal will not secure a point with a similarly sloppy performance.

It looks like a banana skin on paper, but home support and surely more forgiving weather conditions, in addition to what can only be a much-improved collective effort, should be enough to get the job done.

There is a quick turnaround for part two of this potentially awkward calendar as, just four days later, Aston Villa arrive at the Emirates for some Friday night football. Victories in both of last year’s meetings indicate the Villans have our number, while great results of late including a last-gasp win at Old Trafford and nine-minute demolition of Everton have propelled them into the top half of the table.

And, looking more deeply into the fixtures and their respective timings, maybe Arsenal should be more confident than they think of success.

Continued on next page…

Arsenal Will Have Aston Villa and Leicester in Their Sights

Nevertheless, the departure of the talismanic Jack Grealish during the summer was bound to have an impact on them, and dropped points against two newly-promoted sides suggest they may not be quite as formidable this time around.

The two teams are side-by-side in the league standings and their unpredictable natures make this one difficult to call, but the fact that we have a point to prove and will once again benefit from home advantage ought to give us the edge.

Finally, and hopefully having capitalised on the home comforts of preceding weeks, Arsenal will round off the month with an early kick-off at Leicester. Unlike the matches discussed previously, this tie will perhaps be less daunting than we might expect, as the Foxes have failed to win a league game since August and currently lie bottom of their Europa League group.

Furthermore, this match will be the home side’s fifth in just 14 days and comes soon after testing away trips to Spartak Moscow and Brentford respectively. Of course, we can as always expect a difficult afternoon in the East Midlands – where we have won only twice since their 2014 promotion – but all things considered, Leicester seem to be there for the taking at moment.

That should give Mikel Arteta’s men all the encouragement they need to put them to the sword.

It is worth bearing in mind that we are still only in October and, while you have to take opportunities to put points on the board, there will no doubt be many more twists and turns in the months ahead that will also have a significant influence on our final league position.

However, while no match in this competition is easy, fans and pundits alike have all pinpointed the upcoming fixture list as a favourable one for the Gunners, and nine points could make all the difference in the race for European spots. Let’s hope we’re not left wondering what might have been when we travel to Anfield in November!