Arsenal can match Mikel Arteta record vs Watford

When you don’t lose for nine matches in all competitions, nobody gets away without knowing it. If you’re Manchester City then, whatever, it’s normal, or even Chelsea and Liverpool. Arsenal fans have allowed themselves to bask in this, though.

And rightly so. Yes, this run contains wins over Norwich, Burnley and AFC Wimbledon, but it also has Aston Villa, Brighton, Leicester, Leeds and Tottenham in there. Some were fortunate draws, admittedly, but the point stands.

For a club that’s gone through some fairly miserable times of late – which is all relative, of course – the chance to get giddy about this stretch of matches is going to be jumped at without hesitation.

That doesn’t mean tempering emotions isn’t in order, mind you. This young group will endure rough times ahead and the key is being behind them through thick and thin. Besides, it’s the best run of results since Mikel Arteta took charge nearly 23 months ago.

Arsenal can match Mikel Arteta’s ten match unbeaten record in charge if they avoid defeat against Watford in the Premier League on Sunday

Except it isn’t.

While it feels like many moons ago, this team, albeit a very different looking one, have previously gone ten matches unbeaten under Arteta’s watchful eye – a period that lasted from January 1 to February 27 in 2020.

Kicking off the new year in style with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United, Arsenal drew their following four Premier League fixtures – against Palace, Sheffield United, Chelsea and Burnley – before putting Newcastle and Everton to the sword.

In between that run there was also a pair of FA Cup wins over Leeds and Bournemouth respectively, as well as a 1-0 win away at Olympiacos in the first leg of their round of 32 Europa League clash in Athens.

The run in the Premier League would actually be extended with victory over West Ham by the solitary goal, however, that awful night at the Emirates when Olympiacos left north London with a 2-2 aggregate win in Europe ensured the run was ended after ten matches.

How long ago does that feel? Probably around a year and eight months ago. Which is funnily enough how long it was. Odd, that.

And with Claudio Ranieiri’s Watford making the short journey to the capital on Sunday there is a very welcome opportunity for Arteta to match his previous tally of ten matches unbeaten as a manager.

What comes after that? Liverpool at Anfield. So, as much as he’d love an 11-game unbeaten streak, maybe it would be best to focus on ten first of all.