Imagine the scenario…
Arsenal were at home against Manchester City. They were playing their 3rd away game in a row whilst we were playing our 3rd at home.
Following a home match in Europe, we had 3 days of preparation before the Sunday afternoon kick off. Manchester City were playing away on a Thursday, so only had the Saturday to prepare.
We had taken the lead in the opening 10 minutes and then City went down to 10-men moments before half time. We then huffed and puffed and it took us until the 97th minute to grab an equaliser.
A draw at home despite everything being in our favour. The narrative will be that this is an opportunity lost for The Arsenal. And a statement made by Manchester City. That they had bravely battled to a draw despite everything being against them.
Instead, with the tables turned, the narrative being written is that drawing away to the 4-in-a-row champions is a poor result and performance.
3 away games in a week
Tottenham away
Atalanta away
Manchester City away
Many pundits were writing that this would be a week that derails our title chances early in the season.
Back to back away games made harder with a trip to Italy in the Champions League sandwiched in between. Most of our detractors would have had us down to lose all 3 games.
Instead, we come away from the run with 1 win and 2 draws, concerning just 1 goal. And that goal being in the 98th minute of the last game in the run having played with 10 men for over half of it. Incredible.
Little to no rest
Manchester City played at home on Wednesday night. They had 3 full days of preparation following their game against Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, it was gone midnight Thursday in Italy by the time we had left the San Siro. Even if we got a flight home straight from the ground to London, we are probably talking about it being 4 or 5am with the lads being back home in their own beds.
At best, Friday would have been an afternoon rest and recuperation session at London Colney, giving us just a single day to prepare the lads for the toughest away trip of the season.
We have seen the impact of playing Thursday / Sunday in the Europa League. The fact is you are more likely to drop points on the Sunday. And that likelihood further increases if you were playing away mid-week.
Given the lack of rest and preparation for Arsenal, Manchester City went into Sunday as clear favourites.
Over half of the game with 10-men
Post game, Arsenal received a lot of criticism for the way we played.
Players and pundits pointing out statistics that showed Manchester City played the most passes, had the most shots, and were basically camped in our own half for 45 minutes. But what did they expect? Arsenal were down to 10-men.
Should we have done what Fat Ange did last season against Chelsea and gone all out attack, defending on the half way line, and get spanked?
Bernardo Silva came out in his post-game interview comparing Liverpool to Arsenal, saying: “Liverpool always faced us head-on, to win matches. From that perspective, our games against Arsenal haven’t been like the matches against Liverpool were, and still are”
Back in 2017, Liverpool faced Manchester City at the Etihad. They went down to 10 men in the first half as Sadio Mane was controversially sent off. The score was 1-nil to City when the Senegalese forward was given his marching orders. Liverpool lost 5-nil.
Now I might not be a genius, but surely drawing 2-2 is a better result when down to 10-men than losing 5-0?
The fact we went down to 10-men and held on for a point has clearly upset City players, who are used to opponents beinding over like being at a P Diddy party.
We move on
When the fixtures were announced, an early season collapse was predicted for Arsenal.
3 away games in the first 5 games. Trips to Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham. Last seasons 1st, 3rd and 5th. Only Liverpool’s inclusion would have made it a tougher start on the road for us.
Many pundits and fans had us down for 3 defeats. An expectation that at best we would have 6 points from the opening 5-games. Our title challenge over before it even begun.
Instead, we got 7 points from 9 on the road, and conceded just twice.
That leaves us 4th in the league, 2 points off top, and unbeaten. We have conceded just 3 goals this season, with 2 of those coming when we had 10-men.
When you go to places like Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City, you can not expect to role them over. Win 3 or 4 nil. So I am not sure why our defensive outlook in these games is being criticised, rather than our performances be praised.
Mikeikel Arteta is growing tactically.
We can play defensive like Mourinhom, possession-based football like Pep, and a high press like Klopp. The team has the personnel to change tactics depending on the opponent and in-game situation.
Why is a manger being criticised for being tactically adaptable (meanwhile Ange is being praised for “sticking to his philosophy” and losing!). Why are we being criticised for being unbeaten? And why is the narrative now changing from”Arsenal are naive” to “it is wrong for Arsenal to engage in the dark arts”?
For a decade under Arsene Wenger, we were Southern sofites. We were naive. Unable to grind out results. And now we are doing just that, in 3 tough away games, Arteta is being compared to Tony Pullis and Sean Dyche.
This is a team, remember, that scored a club record league goals last season, breaking the record set the year before.
These opening 3 games were never about style, they were all about results. We could not have won the title in the opening 5 of the season but we could have lost it.
Instead of being 9 points behind City after 5 games, like many predicted, we are just 2. And I guess the Manchester and Liverpool pundits do not like that!
We stay together. We back the manager and what he has built, and we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.
The Arsenal are now unbeaten to Manchester City in the last 4 games. They have failed to beat us twice in a row at the Etihad. Despite their players trying to criticise our achievement, they are clearly scared of us.
We have proved in the last 2 away games against them that we are now their equals. Head to head there is nothing between us. We now need to do it for 38 league games.
My final thought is finishing 2nd behind Manchester City is not a failure considering what they have spent (on both transfers and salaries) in the last decade. Yes, some fans will point to “net spend”, but we all know this is meaningless. City are currently spending “less” because they have a well establish team built over the last 10-years.
We are in the race.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Keenos pray God blessings upon you ,thank you so much for this piece it really blessed my heart.since Sunday night all I have been seeing shows definitely Arteta and his Spartans have not just rocked the premier league but have smashed crates of eggs on people face . City players are really rattle by it that’s why Haalland was insulting everyone even trash talk Arteta. the numbers of mancity players that have come out to show their frustration have been a delight to me ,did you see how they celebrate like the won the league after the equalizer if that where to be Arsenal, celebration police and military forces would have been on a full front assault calling us all kinds of name .Now everyone knows we are no more softies so they will soon start calling us THE ATHLETICO MADRID OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
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