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December has started as dreadfully as it possibly could have for Arsenal. Not only is it zero points from two matches, there’s very little cause for optimism from the two worst defeats of the season.
Things can only get better, right? As terribly reminiscent of the state of play after the opening three matches as that might sound, it’s the mantra the team needs heading into the rest of the month.
Southampton is next up on the fixture list on Saturday, a matchup that has been quite kind to Arsenal over recent Premier League meetings, and one that provides a welcome opportunity to banish some Goodison Park demons.
A lot of banishing will be required, since the 2-1 defeat at Everton presented a Santa sack full of the little devils.
3 realistic targets for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal as they prepare for the upcoming December Premier League fixture list
Previous issues within the team reared their heads once again along with some newer, yet also older ones. Arsenal’s performance was far too similar to some of those from last season for comfort. Worryingly so.
On the whole, December was set up to be one of the easier – if such a word can be used – month of fixtures for the Gunners: United and Everton were both awful at the time of playing them, and the other matches feature a few favourable ties.
While Mikel Arteta continues to lose supporters for some bizarre decisions he’s making on and off the pitch, there is no evidence in the slightest to suggest he’s petering closer to an enforced exit. Could that change after a torrid end to the calendar year? Who knows.
So what can we realistically expect to see from the team over the six remaining fixtures of 2021? There will be internal targets set by the club, and from the outside watching on there are three that stand out.
1. Improve the Dreadful Away Form
If the Premier League table were judged solely on home form, Arsenal would sit third. If the Premier League table were judged solely on away form, Arsenal would sit 11th. Two sides of a coin that meet in seventh place.
16 points from their seven home matches is helped by facing Watford, Burnley, Newcastle and Norwich, as well as Aston Villa and Tottenham who both sacked their managers shortly after.
As for the away results, making trips to Old Trafford, Anfield, the Etihad, Goodison Park, the King Power and the AMEX makes the seven points from eight games slightly more palatable. It doesn’t, at all, but it’s nicer to know that all those fixtures are at least been and gone.
It would be interesting to know how much the poor away form has been down to the youthfulness of the team. That can never be quantifiable and is purely speculative, yet having the youngest team in the division may be playing a part in why home form has been that much better.
What December coughs up is a chance to improve results on the road. Only two away matches remain, and they both come against sides battling away at the wrong end of the table.
On December 18 is a trip north to Elland Road to face a Leeds side who’ve just been rocked by further damaging injuries. Key trio Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and Liam Cooper have all suffered hamstring strains, with Arsenal set to come too soon for all three. Rodrigo also has a heel problem with an indefinite absence time. It’s all going against Marcelo Bielsa’s team, who are 15th with just three league wins all term.
The final away tie of 2021 is Norwich on Boxing Day, the team rock bottom of the Premier League table. Looking ever so slightly improved under Dean Smith, the cold hard reality is that if Arsenal can’t win matches away to sides who’ve five games between them this season then they don’t deserve any European football.
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2. 10 Points From the 15 Available
Setting points totals? What happened to taking it one game at a time?
With an Arsenal side who win moderately well and lose terribly, trying to come up with a realistic points total from the upcoming December matches is no easy task. It’s mostly a lottery.
Looking at the matches though, there are some presentable opportunities coming up. The same was said about Old Trafford and Goodison Park, mind you, so…yeah.
Of course, there is a difference between the desired amount and the realistic amount. With the way recent performances look there are plenty who can’t even see Arsenal winning against Southampton on Saturday. That’s entirely understandable.
So factoring in how Arsenal blow somewhere between lukewarm and cold, winning three, drawing one and losing one of the next five games can be considered realistic. Arsenal could lose them all just as easily as they could win them all. And, it needn’t be said, after the past two results it’s vitally important that the number is as close to 15 as possible.
West Ham at home is the big one, followed closely by welcoming Wolves to the Emirates. The other three matches are against sides lurking around the wrong end of the table and have to be seen as winnable fixtures.
While we want a full sweep, realistically with the shattered confidence and lack of goal threat, ten is a more likely, and achievable, outcome.
- Southampton (H) – December 11
- West Ham (H) – December 15
- Leeds United (A) – December 18
- Norwich (A) – December 26
- Wolves (H) – December 28
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3. Beating Sunderland and Reaching the Carabao Cup Semi-Finals
It took another glance at the December fixture list to act as a reminder that, yes, Arsenal are in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. With a lot else going on it was easily forgotten.
They’ve also got one foot in the semi-finals.
The draw was immensely kind to Arsenal. Incredibly so. Not only did they avoid facing one of Liverpool, Leicester, West Ham, Tottenham, Brentford or Chelsea, they got their tie at home. League One Sunderland at the Emirates with a place in the last four of the Carabao Cup in store.
That’s an early Christmas present.
Well in the race for a return to the Championship this season in a hotly contested promotion chase in the third tier, even the most backup of Arsenal backups should be winning this match. There is no beating around the bush here: Arsenal should not only win, they probably will too.
Can an upset happen? Absolutely it can, and with this fixture falling on December 21, three days after a trip to Leeds, who knows what could happen. We’ve no idea what kind of form Arsenal will be in come that period.
But of all the realistic targets to set, reaching the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup ranks highest. It would be a pleasant note to leave on prior to Christmas Day and the unwanted trip to Norfolk on Boxing Day.