A modern day tale of David vs Goliath.
I write this article with a Premier League result in mind…that being a 2-1 victory for Man City against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Significance…this result now shifting the gargantuan Etihad, Sky Blue Shaped Shadow largely and looming over the coveted Premier League Trophy.
Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season against Fulham.
But it could have been so different, couldn’t it?
This season for Arteta and his band of merry Gooners has not only been fascinating but truly resounding in the football world. Nobody expected Arsenal to mount this kind of challenge so early into the masterstroke career of Pep Gaurdiola’s much hyped apprentice, but low and behold at stages in this lifetime surprise packages are waiting behind closed doors.
Arsenal and Arteta are a surprise package and the quicker fans of the club and observers realise that, the more they’ll relish in sheer glory of those Red and White jerseys.
Naming players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus give a direct understanding of the philosophy Arteta has bought to the football club and how this season portrays so much more than just a title challenge against the might of Man City. A mixture of youth and excitement emblazoned with the nurturing know-how of experience has provided Arsenal with consistency, the key to most successful football teams.
But consistency needs to be nurtured too and with any successful team comes the preliminary years, the beginnings, the arisings.
We’ve seen it so many times with national teams and other decade spanning title era’s at club level, a period of runner-up medals and nearly men scenarios before the trophy cabinet really starts to mount up. We’ve seen the same with Man City in the run up to their recent decade of dominance, no fewer than 6 Premier League trophies and a whole plethora of Cups.
Its no doubt that after Sundays victory over Fulham, the Man City title winning train is full steam ahead, with a game in-hand and winning form in abundance this Arsenal challenge seems to have plateaued to an unfortunate end. Its not only written on the cards but the etchings of Manchester City has almost begun at the engravers.
For Arsenal it appears that this run-in towards the end of the season will show more character than the apparent good form they’ve shown throughout the season. They’ll not only need to shrug-off the disappointment of losing top spot but they will also need to show Team Spirit, Resilience and Belief.
The cocktail of success for any era spanning, trophy laden football club.
With games coming up fast against a wounded Chelsea and a buoyed Newcastle a test of character is not exactly what Arteta needed but its what his talented squad are going to get. Its still to play for, we all know that, but how many more letters with be carved into the Premier League Silverware come the home fixture against Brighton on 14th May?
Manchester City have a Champions League semi-final to settle with Real Madrid in the midst of this Arsenal deluge…its very much all eyes on Arteta to see if this squad can stand up to the pressure of winning their first Premier League title in almost 20 years or are they just one cannon ball short of an Arsenal.
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