Arsenal remain top of the league after eight matches in the Premier League, making their best start for years under Mikel Arteta. This was only extended further with a victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby, which ended 3-1 and pushed them four points clear of their rivals.
For the Gunners, it extends their momentum heading into a busy period this season, with October and November containing many fixtures due to the World Cup break in the middle of the season. "It [momentum] is [important] because the next match in the Europa League here is going to be really tough, but we have that now and it’s so powerful and meaningful for us," Arteta said after the game.
"The next step is to go and do many other things. But we have to, first of all, have what we have, and with that group of players, I think it’s much nicer and easier that something can happen."
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Two key turning points happened within the game for the Gunners, the first being the equaliser for Spurs and the second being the red card the visitors received. Arsenal continued to push after they were pegged back and controlled the game after the sending off, showing their maturity in the match situation.
When asked if he was happy with how his side managed the game after the sending off, Arteta said: "Yes because a lot of them are really young and to go through those emotions and to understand what the game demands right now can sometimes be really tricky, but I think they were really intelligent and mature in the way they handled the situation and they did what I think the game demanded in the moment."
That "mature" performance contrasts something said by Gary Neville before the season, where he was unsure if Arsenal had the experience to compete at the top end after they failed to close a top four finish last year. Speaking on the Overlap in August, the former Manchester United defender said: "I worry about the experience and a young manager. To be fair, it’s not unfounded, the evidence is there staring us in the face.
“Last season, Arsenal should have finished in the top four, but in the end, the experience of Conte and the experience of the Spurs players, that game at the Tottenham Stadium, it was alarming how naive Arsenal were and short they were. My concern is, and I know Manchester United and Chelsea are struggling a little bit in terms of where they are, and they might both blow up, but they would have to for Arsenal to get into the top four.
“The experience is still not there, both on the pitch and off the pitch. On the pitch, who in that team is going to?” While it's still early days, the players have stood tall to the challenges thrown their way so far this season.
The experience of last season is likely to help them drive forward, while senior players such as Granit Xhaka have stepped up. It remains to be seen how far they can go, but Arsenal are continuing to prove many wrong in the early stages of the season.
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