What a difference a year makes, especially for Arsenal, who find themselves top of the Premier League after three games.
It’s a stark contrast to the same point last season, when they were bottom of the table. They began last season with three defeats to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City. Three games, nine goals conceded, zero goals scored.
This season they’ve beaten Crystal Palace, Leicester and Bournemouth. Three games, nine goals scored, two goals conceded.
Arsenal and their fans are enjoying themselves, and they deserve to. The away contingent at Bournemouth were singing for practically the entire game. After years of cynicism and discord, the fans are living in the moment.
Read: How Much Emotion Is Too Much In Football?
It’s a young team, with a young manager who used to be captain. However, Arteta didn’t always have this backing, because it didn’t always look like he could get to this point.
He’s done outstanding work to foster a generous atmosphere at the Emirates and build the squad that he wants. There were points during the Covid season when you could have made a compelling case for him to be sacked.
Arteta made the choice to move Aubameyang on last season and it paid off. Gabriel Martinelli took the former captain’s place in the team and has gone from strength to strength. With the trust of the club, the fans and the dedication of the players, this is truly Arteta’s team now.
Arsenal are playing fun football for the first time since the mid-late Arsene Wenger era. The results have been transformational. The fans have snapped out of their stupor and remembered that football can in fact be enjoyable.
Read: Writing On The Wall For Southampton Manager Ralph Hassenhuttl
Those fans deserve credit too, because they have changed their outlook. They now realise their capability to lift the young team through difficult moments. Since going unbeaten in 2004/2005, there was a certain sense of entitlement. This entitlement manifested itself in over-the-top criticism of other young teams through the years.
The Emirates became an unpleasant place where the fans were embroiled in in-fighting and players weren’t given the benefit of the doubt. Now, the fans cheer their player when he scores an own goal.
Bravo, Mikel. Bravo.
