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3 positives & negatives as depleted Arsenal claim North London Derby win
- Arsenal without several senior stars yet claimed 1-0 win in North London Derby
- Gunners defended superbly after Gabriel opened the scoring
- Momentum built heading into pivotal week
5. Momentum heading into huge week
We shouldn't be looking too deeply into points tallies and tables at this early stage, but when you're up against an all-time great outfit that has no intention of ceding control of the Premier League anytime soon, it's hard not to sink deep into the permutations of every fixture.
With Manchester City winning on Saturday, their advantage over Arsenal was five points. Defeat or even a draw in the derby would've left the Gunners with a considerable deficit ahead of Sunday's duel at the Etihad.
However, three points at Tottenham has handed Arteta's side a huge confidence boost heading into a big week of September fixtures. Arsenal's backline hasn't been perfect through a month of action with Raya performing well, but Sunday's game was a reminder of their impressive stability. Another sound display will be required in Manchester next week if the Gunners are to claim a result.
Just how much momentum Arsenal head into the fixture with will also be shaped by Thursday's Champions League opener in Bergamo. Atalanta have built a giant-killing reputation under Gian Piero Gasperini, and they will pose a litany of challenges for Arteta's side in midweek. The Gunners, who have grand continental aspirations, too, will want to get their campaign off on the right foot.
6. Uncertainty over injuries
Declan Rice has served his one-game suspension and will return to Arsenal's midfield, but there are still plenty of doubts over the club's currently injured stars.
Martin Odegaard's ankle sprain may keep him out until the next international break, while Riccardo Calafiori's calf injury sustained on international duty saw him miss the derby. Arteta had to turn to the academy to fill his bench on Sunday with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, and Takehiro Tomiyasu among the others to miss out.
Arsenal have streamlined their squad which means it looks high in quality when everybody's available, but it's not the deepest group in the world. Fortunately, the club does have a couple of special starlets at their disposal who are ready to make an impact for the seniors in times of depletion.
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