Winners
Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah has taken all the negative energy and views around not only his contract renewal but the worries of him replacing Gabriel Jesus and stuffed them all into the back of David De Gea’s net. Gloriously finished in a way that you know he so characteristically does, a couple of yards out and no mistake.
But beyond how reliable he is between the posts, Nketiah has bought into everything that Mikel Arteta wants from his Arsenal striker. The energy, the press, even the tackling.
A gorgeous sliding challenge to lift the crowd has been seen in back-to-back games now. He is very much the Arsenal striker now and has proven all his doubters wrong.
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The Arsenal left flank
I have never seen a player like Oleksandr Zinchenko completely overhaul a single role in a team in such a short space of time as he has. Equally, there’s arguably never been such a turnaround from one spectrum of appreciation to another as there has been in Granit Xhaka.
Both players have combined along with Gabriel Martinelli to form quite the trio. Whilst Martinelli himself has had a rough couple of games, the left-hand side has elevated to something that could go beyond what Alexis Sanchez effectively single-handedly brought to the team.
With Leandro Trossard coming into the team to provide competition in many areas, seeing how he might integrate is exciting. It is fair to say no matter who is playing on the right of the opposition, they’re in for a torrid time.
Mikel Arteta
Beyond all others though Mikel Arteta has overcome the most doubt of all. After the 2020/21 season, I struggled to see the way forward myself. But I know now that I was simply unable to see what he was building in line with his own abilities.
It was masked behind problem players, bad luck and some, granted, mistakes on his part. However, I have never been so pleased to be proven wrong.
Even his in-game management against United showcased how this area of his repertoire has progressed. The substitution of Ben White might not have been something he’d have done in previous years, but it proved important in the context of the game.
He can get booked on the sideline. I don’t care how many killjoys it annoys; I love it.
Losers
Gabriel Jesus
Whilst Eddie Nketiah continues to impress, Gabriel Jesus recovers from his serious injury. The prospect of his return is an exciting one to know he can come back an even better player once fully healed.
However, he isn’t guaranteed a starting spot. Many might have thought once he’s fit that Nketiah must surely step aside but there’s little-to-no chance of seeing that happen right now.
Nketiah is Arsenal’s starting striker even if Jesus were to return tomorrow. In a side challenging for a title, not one player should be guaranteed a place, it must instead be earned and that is exactly what the Brazilian must do when he comes back… earn it.
Manchester United
You can’t help but laugh at how quickly so many put Manchester United into the equation for the title after a couple of good wins and a decent run. The irony is that for many still, Arsenal aren’t creating any doubt that Manchester City won’t win the title.
“Just beat Crystal Palace and Arsenal and suddenly we’re three points off the leaders.” Well, they won neither and instead, they’re eleven points from the Gunners and solidly in a race for Champions League qualification and not the top spot.
The Arsenal doubters
Speaking of people being in the wrong… Arsenal’s doubters are nowhere to be seen.
This Arsenal side has climbed to the summit of the Premier League through a stylistically purposeful vision of their manager and a will to succeed that is so far unmatched this season. Every player on the field has a job to do and they are determined to achieve what this club has longed for.
Players like the aforementioned Nketiah, Gabriel Magalhaes, Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard and others were seen by many not to be good enough. Again, where are they now?
This team is a unified force with a never-say-die attitude that produced these late goals and displays that last the ninety. Last season, Arsenal won one game after going behind; this season the Gunners have won against Manchester United, Fulham and West Ham despite conceding first with half a season still to play.
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