Arsenal’s realistic February points target from three matches

After an agonisingly long wait for Arsenal to return to action following January’s Premier League break and the subsequent FA Cup weekend, Wolves are up next on Thursday.

As far as fixtures go, it’s a huge one to welcome back Mikel Arteta’s side from what will be an 18-day period without competitive action. A behind-closed-doors friendly with Reading does not count.

On the one hand the side will be refreshed and ready for the challenge, while in on the flip side they won’t have that match sharpness they will need for a fixture that could have a huge bearing on the outcome of the top four race.

While defeat to Wolves cleary won’t bring an end to the top four hopes, it will shift the narrative and see attention honed in on the club’s decision to make any additions in the January window. There will be serious backlash.

Arsenal’s realistic February points target from Brentford and Wolves would be to go undefeated all month and only draw one match

Following that game is a home visit of Brentford, who it would be most enjoyable to beat after the events of the opening day, before taking on Wolves once again at the Emirate Stadium.

With this month only have three games in it, the desired outcome of the fixtures tends to be clustered up into a combined total of points. For these three, what should Arsenal be realistically content with?

If seven points were offered now they’d probably be taken.

Molinuex, especially this season, is not an easy ground to travel to. While Mikel Arteta will never change the way his team approaches matches and will set out to win the game, where Arsenal to come away with a point it wouldn’t be viewed as a poor result.

That is, of course, if six points can be accrued from the two home matches that follow. Brentford, without doubt, has to be three points. They may be surpassing expectations this season but the point remains that they’ve won just twice on the road this season and six times overall.

Then there is Bruno Lage’s side again, who actually boast a better away record than their home results. But even with that Arsenal shouldn’t be content with anything other than three points at the Emirates in every game they play for the rest of the season with, perhaps, the exception of Liverpool.

Having the fourth best home record in the division is something Arsenal have to maintain and, if possible, improve upon. The Emirates, backed by a raucous crowd, should only ever be seen as somewhere to win three points.

Is nine from three games achievable? Absolutely so. As impressive defensively as Wolves have been this season their lack of goals is unavoidable and their January window was spent weakening the squad, not strengthening it.

A seven-point haul will serve Arsenal well into a March that currently has Premier League matches with Watford, Leicester and Aston Villa pencilled in.