Arsenal review: Best game, worst game, best moment, worst moment & targets

With over a quarter of the season down and the unwelcome break from club football upon us, looking back over what has taken place in these last 11 Arsenal matches is next on the agenda.

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind start to the season. A tale of two halves….ish.

Everyone had to endure the horror that was the opening three fixtures of the season. A torrid trio of matches that signaled the end of Arsenal as a Big Six club.

Ha! Not so fast, eh?

Arsenal Premier League review: Best game, worst game, best moment, worst moment, best signing and targets for the season

From the very depths of despair up to the soaring heights of fifth place in the Premier League, even if it has been mentioned numerous times how unfathomable it was to predict such a turnaround after what everyone had seen, it is still quite hard to believe.

Mikel Arteta earned himself a Manager of the Month award – the first Arsenal manager to do so since Arsene Wenger back in October 2015 – and the favourable results have continued to come the Gunners’ way.

Ten matches unbeaten in all competitions, including seven in the top-flight, also includes a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, something that has been slightly forgotten amid all of the other brilliant ongoings of late.

Sunderland at home is, let’s not beat around the bush, by far the easiest draw Arsenal could have hoped for, and as the Christmas period hots up there may well be a semi-final spot to savour heading into the new year.

With so much to unpack in 11 matches, let’s take a look back on the best and the worst that we’ve seen across this spell, as well as whether or not the pre-season targets might have changed as a result of this unbeaten run.

Worst Game – Manchester City 5-0 Arsenal

It wasn’t going to be anything else, was it? It couldn’t possibly be. If we included all 100 of Arteta’s matches in charge of the club this would still probably feature high up on most peoples’ overall lists for this category.

This was a new low. All of the promise that the end of the previous season showed and the buzz over a record summer spend, while the first two games brought everyone crashing back down to earth, the drubbing at the Etihad felt like the final nail in the coffin.

A coffin that read ‘Arsenal will never be more than a mid-table football club’.

Upon reflection the horrific looking defence, the fact it was the reigning Premier League champions on their patch and Granit Xhaka red cards did no favours, but the manner of defeat and baffling tactical setup Arteta employed – Xhaka on his own in midfield? – showed signs of regression, not progression.

Was this the end of both Arteta and Arsenal as a footballing force? The slide has been ongoing for a number of years but the way the team crumbled in Manchester had an air of sadness about it; that this was the farewell.

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Best Game – Arsenal 3-1 Aston Villa

As far as overall performances go, none this season have been quite as complete as the 3-1 mauling of Aston Villa on home soil.

Other more memorable results may spring to mind, but in terms of the overall package this tops the lot.

From the off this was high intensity football at its finest under Arteta. Pinning Villa’s wing-backs deep into their own half to force them into the back five, the boundless energy of strike duo Aubamayeng and Lacazette left Tyrone Mings looking like a central defender only Gareth Southgate could select.

The pressing and counter pressing made for some breathless football and to have gone in at half-time leading by two goals was the least Arsenal deserved. What was peculiar was that neither came from open play, in which the hosts were breathless.

It included the set piece specialties from the Hale End boys, a first goal for Thomas Partey and a teary-eyed Emi Martinez. What more could you want? There were 14 shots to Villa’s zero in the first half!

What helped set this apart from other wins was that the energy levels were maintained in the short spell after the break, where Smith Rowe rounded off the scoring to put Arsenal in a position of comfort whereby they could take their foot off the gas.

A brilliant performance.

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Worst Moment – The International Break After Man City

We can’t choose the game again, even if it was pretty harrowing.

Instead, what was worse was the aftermath of matchweek three. That drubbing was followed directly by the international break, although given the game took place at 12:30pm on a Saturday, supporters were left to stew over the horror while the rest of the division enjoyed the sweet nectar of not losing 5-0.

By the time Tottenham had finished their fixture it was the first time ever that they had sat atop the Premier League while Arsenal were rock bottom. It sucked. It hurt. And all the internal dialogue over whether the manager needed sacking and if the players were all a waste of money was brutally tough to swallow.

The discourse surrounding Arsenal was toxic and damaging. There were a few who felt that the manager had been dealt an appalling hand to start the season, which he had, but the overriding emotions were that he had taken the club as far as he could.

What supporters were left to pin their hopes on was a win at home to the even more atrocious Norwich: it was a battle royale between 20th and 19th.

Those were tough days and grueling weeks.

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Best Moment – Winning the North London Derby

While it may not have been the best performance it was most certainly the best moment. The North London Derby has the capacity to completely overrule any lingering sadness or despair, just as it can body slam you down onto the ground and not let go.

Fortunately on this occasion the three points went Arsenal’s way, a win they wholeheartedly deserved.

Getting Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Aubamayeng on the scoresheet was even more perfect, just as the captain’s Thierry Henry celebration in front of the Spurs fans will go down as one of the most memorable derby moments.

As good as Arsenal were, Tottenham were also absolutely atrocious. It was the perfect day. A clueless Nuno Espirto Santo overseeing a clueless bunch of footballers in front of a clueless set of fans.

And after the Tottenham fans were giving it large over the teams’ differing positions in the league table, winning by two goals saw Arsenal leapfrog Tottenham in the table. The first time in history that bottom had overtaken top in three games’ time.

The NLD win is always sweet. Always precious. Of course it was the best moment so far.

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Best Signing So Far – Aaron Ramsdale

It speaks volumes of Arsenal’s recruitment over the summer that there was serious competition for this from a number of players.

Aaron Ramsdale still comes out on top, but Takehiro Tomiyasu, Sambi Lokonga and Benjamin White have all been brilliant in their own way. For Tomiyasu, the comfort with which he’s settled into his tactical role and performed his duties with an efficiency that often goes overlooked is a credit to his adaptability and commitment to learn.

Sambi has had ups and downs but nobody expected him to be playing the volume of Premier League minutes he has since arriving from Belgium. He’s growing by the day and will be a wonderful footballer for this club.

White, meanwhile, had a rocky start but has come on leaps and bounds, now actually looking like a £50m defender. A Rolls Royce centre-back. Every aspect of his game is solid and he brings his own personal flair with those majestic ball carries out from his own half. Been a rock in defence.

But Ramsdale can’t be overlooked as the best so far. Yet to lose since taking over from Bernd Leno in net after the Man City loss, his otherworldly distribution demonstrates a glorious array of techniques and styles that have been a huge addition to the backline. Clearly a solid shot stopper too, it’s what he’s brought in a vocal sense as well as the bond he’s made with the fans that is arguably his biggest strength.

Indeed, perhaps even more so than his kicking.

He has forged a union with his defenders, commanded his box and got the fans on side. The atmosphere at the Emirates has been spectacular in comparison to previously and Ramsdale has been fundamental in that. A magnificent signing and an even better person.

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Season Targets – Top Six

Before the season began the realistic target for this group was a return to the Europa League. At the absolute best it would have been fifth. While the season has since turned around, only the most barmy or staunch fans could have ever seriously predicted a top four finish.

Is that now an achievable target after 11 matches? It’s definitely achievable and the club should always set their sights high, but as far as being realistic goes a top six place still has to be the aim.

Well, instead of aim, it might be better to list it as the minimum expected. That sounds better.

This team is the youngest in the division (we’ve heard that a few times) and the inconsistencies that will come as a result can’t be discounted. On a ten match unbeaten run, the November and December fixtures are a daunting set and if Arsenal can come through them still in the top six mix then they should be happy.

Add to that the midfield concerns when AFCON comes around, and the possibility of more key injuries (if Gabriel is crocked then it’s a big worry) and sights should still be on returning into European competition.

Manchester United’s utter uselessness and the faltering form of the Leicester’s and Tottenham’s of this league have presented a gap in the Champions League places. It is there for the taking for someone. It just isn’t wise to look too far ahead at this point.