Watford 2-3 Arsenal: Gunners have what four rivals don’t

Arsenal moved into the top four for the first time in two months as they held on to beat Watford 3-2 in Sunday’s Premier League clash.

With Wolves and West Ham both falling to defeats on Saturday, while Manchester United and Tottenham didn’t play until later, the Gunners had the biggest opening yet to take a firm grip on the Champions League places.

Martin Odegaard got the ball rolling with a wonderfully worked opening goal, and while Cucho Hernandez equalised in sumptuous fashion, Bukayo Saka restored the lead with another outstanding strike.

Mikel Arteta’s side had to hold on for the final three minutes plus stoppage time as Moussa Sissoko pulled one back for the hosts after Gabriel Martinelli had given Arsenal a two-goal cushion, which they did to secure three vital points.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1500508118098354181

Watford 2-3 Arsenal: Gunners doing what top four rivals aren’t with consistency as they move into fourth place in the Premier League

In what is set to be an engrossing end to the season with a spot in the top four up for grabs, crucial for any side in the run-in is finding consistency. With eight wins from the last ten Premier League matches, and four on the spin, Arsenal are the side leading the charge.

Still boasting an unenviable number of games in hand, to have moved up into the Champions League places without having to lean on those additional matches is credit to the coaching staff and the team, who despite not winning matches by huge margins have unearthed the level of consistency that is essential for the final run-in.

Heading into a trio of matches across six days, starting with Leicester at home and then followed by Liverpool and Aston Villa, the Gunners have given themselves a cushion in the top four by having the games in hand now effectively bonus matches.

Some of the attacking football on display was mesmeric. Martin Odegaard showed genius timing on the ball, and Bukayo Saka tormented the Watford backline all afternoon.

Key in the display was the interplay in the final third. Movement off the ball was fluid, with the interchanging of positions, coupled with Lacazette’s dragging central defenders out of position, opening spaces all across the pitch.

But it was a performance far from perfect. There was an unwelcome amount of sloppiness at the back – which includes Aaron Ramsdale – and the two goals conceded could so easily have been more.

The top four is not only in sight now though, it’s in Arsenal’s hands. Maintaining the level they have, especially centrally and in the final third, has been key across this run of matches and is a vital component their rivals have yet to discover. Arteta called for killer instinct and he got it.

Consistency is king in this league, and Arsenal have found it en route to their hopeful seat dining at Europe’s elite table.