What do you mark Arsenal out of 10 after 10 games?

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We are 10 games into the 2021/22 season.

Arsenal sit 6th (at the time of writing; prior to Wolves v Everton). So what do we all give the team for the first 10 games of the season?

I asked the question in a WhatsApp group earlier and the most common response was “7”. And it is a figure I agree with.

We started the season in dissapointing fashion, beaten 2-0 to Brentford on the first day of the season.

Whilst the result was dissapointing, we were suffering from Covid issues and up against a side back in top flight football for the first time since 1946.

Those two factors led to Arsenal being well below par and Brentford playing out of their skins.

Next up was Chelsea at home where we were taking apart by Romelu Lukaku and a dismantling with 10-men by Manchester City.

0 points from 3 games. Bottom of the league. Not a single goal scored.

We would have been marked as 0 out of 10 after those first 3 games.

Narrow victories against Norwich City and Burnley followed as Arteta attmepted to rebuild the sides confidence following that horrendous start. 2/10 after 5 games.

That was followed by the mauling of Tottenham before a bore draw in the ice cold rain against Brighton. At this point I would mark us 4.5 out of 10. The Spurs victory worth 2 marks alone (Brighton a half mark).

We snatched a draw from a defeat against Crystal Palace which saw us site mid-table. You would struggle to find anyone that would mark us more than 5 out of 10 at this pointt.

Then came a victory at home against Aston Villa before the weekends terrific performance away to Leicester City.

It was not just the 6 points that we got in those 2 games but also the actual performances.

So after 10 games I mark us 7 out of 10.

The highs of Tottenham, Aston Villa and Leicester; the low of Brentford. And the reminder against Brighton and Crystal Palace that there is still plenty of work to do.

We are in the race for top 4; which was the minimum requirement for mostg before the season began.

New signings are working out, young players continuing to develop. And the older gaurd seem to have upped their game in recent weeks.

We will have more dips as the season goes on, but my prediction for our final league position? 4th.

Keenos

Happy Monday…

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Morning all and happy Monday. And what a happy Monday it is.

Life feels good being an Arsenal right now.

That horrendous start to the season where we lost 3 games in a row and conceded 9 now seems a lifetime away.

We are now 7 unbeaten in the Premeir League and 10 unbeaten in all competitions following victory away to Leicester City.

It was not just the wins against Leicester, Aston Villa and Tottenham, it was the manner of those wins.

They are a glimpse into what Mikel Arteta is doing. How he wants us to play. How he is building us in his vision. It shows what we can do when things click.

But we are not there yet.

This season will be a rollercoaster.

In that 10 game unbeaten run, there were horrid performances againsr Brighton and Crystal Palace. Draws where we could have lost.

It shows that we are still building, still improving.

We are 6th in the league, just 3 points off of 3rd.

For many people, the minimum requirement for Arteta this season was battling for top 4. Despite that start to the season, we are in the race for it.

The next 5 games make interesting reading.

Next Sunday we face Watford at home before an away trip to Liverpool after the international break. We then face Newcastle at home before a double header of away trips to Manchester United and Everton.

It is those last two fixtures which will show us where we are going this season.

I do not expect us to get anything against Liverpool, whilst we should get 6 points from Newcastle and Watford. It is Everton and Manchester United where we will learn if we are top 4 competitors.

Both sides have been similar to arsenal this season – some great performances and some poor. Ole and Rafa have also come under pressure from fans in the same way Mikel did earlier in the season.

They key difference at the moment is it feels like we are on an upward trajectory (3 wins in last 5 games whilst the pair are both struggling for form (both 1 win in their last 5 games).

Regardless of what happens, it is just nice that there is an air of positivity around the club again.

And the Monday is made even better with what is happening with that lot up the road.

Rumour doing the rounds is Nuno will be sacked today.

That will be 2 managers and 1 caretaker manager that Arteta has seen off; which is on the back of Arsene Wenger seeing off 11 managers, countless caretakers and David Pleat about half a dozen times.

Some will say “Tottenham are showing they are clinical and will not accept a manager having them in 8th whilst we stuck with Arteta”. Those same people wanted Nuno ahead of Arteta as Arsenal manager…

Enjoy your Monday…

Keenos

Edu BBQ’ing humble pie for his critics this Halloween

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Over the summer Edu got a lot of abuse from many Arsenal fans.

They criticised him for liking a BBQ and having one too many holidays. They claimed he was out of his depth, that he did not really know what he was doing.

We had massively overpaid for Ben White, despite having William Saliba at the club – who his detractors would point out was the superior player.

We let Matteo Guendouzi go on loan to Marseille whilst spending big on Albert Sambi Lokonga.

And the worst deal of the summer was bringing in Aaron Ramsdale – he had been relegated 3 times in the last 3 seasons.

Only Arsenal, under Edu, would sell Emiliano Martinez for £17million and buy Ramsdale for £30million.

Of course, they under estimated the Martinez fee (it was £20million) and over estimated Ramsdale’s (£24million rising to £30million). but these sort of people never let the facts get in the way of their narrative.

What Edu did was bring in players of a certain profile.

All under 24 years old. All with plenty of experience despite their age. And all with the right attitude.

In the last few years, looking out to in the Arsenal squad has always looked disfunctional.

Too many cliques. Too many players with poor attitudes who down tools at the first sign of the manager putting the pressure on.

When Arteta took the job, he spoke about his ‘non-negotiables‘ at Arsenal. These were respect, commitment and passion. But he came into a squad with too many players who did not have that respect, commitment or passion.

There has been a huge overhaul of players since Arteta came in. Players sold, new contracts handed out, new signings made.

This is now his squad, built alongside Edu. And it is starting to become clear and the players that have joined Arsenal – and those who have been kept – have fallen into line with what Arteta demands.

No one typifies the “new Arsenal” more than Ramsdale.

I have never known a player to get so much abuse before he had even joined the club.

Fans were throwing their toys out of the pram left, right and centre. Some even going as far as saying they would “abandon the club” if Ramsdale joined. There people are not fans. They are hangers on.

Ramsdale has been colossus since he joined.

In the battle between Martinez and Bernd Leno for Arsenal number one, Ramsdale came up on the rails to take it by 8 lengths.

He is not only clearly the best keeper at Arsenal but also one of the best keepers in the Premier League.

His save against Leciester City was one of the best seen in a while (although he did get a tad lucky with the rebound coming off his knee). He is clearly a fantastic shop stopper.

Ramsdale also dominates in the air.

At corners he commands his area, comes out and claims the ball. Catching, not punching.

Knowing you have a keeper that can dominate at set pieces makes defending so much easier.

Ramsdale’s distribution is amongst the best in the league. Maybe not yet on the level of Ederson but he is getting there.

The passes along the ground into midfield have transformed the way we play out the back. If teams press high, he by-passes the opponents and gets the ball into midfield.

He never stops talking. Barking out demands. A voice at the back.

And he is also a character.

When Leicester City fans were giving him a bit of jib, he gave it straight back joining in their chants.

It reminded me of Kevin Pietersen in Sydney when he joined in with the Barmy Army songs about Mitchell Johnson. You have to have some self confidence to do it.

When we signed him, we spoke to Sheffield United fan Arty Bianco and he kept telling us that he is a great lad, a great character.

And great lads, great characters seems to have been the order of the summer.

You get the feeling Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odergard are also great lads, great characters.

As are Gabriel, Kieran Tierney, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

The attitude of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also seemed to have changed this season as well. And with that his form.

He seems to be more energetic. Less sulky. And I think that comes from the positive influence of those around him.

Edu was highly criticsed over the summer. I hope this Halloween he is serving up a huge portion of humble pie to those that criticsed.

Feel free to leave your apologies in the comments below.

Keenos

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