Belief, unity, and tenacity: Arsenal ticked all the boxes
Intervention: Against Vital Rice The Pierse/getty Stadium Premier Match Pic: Clears Of Ball Emirates Arsenal Declan Images During City Ryan League Manchester The At
They say you need belief, unity, tenacity and a perfect squad to deliver Premier League titles in an era dominated by foreign investment and outstanding coaches - Arsenal ticked three boxes on one heady afternoon.
This was a day when title credentials were under intense scrutiny and on which the Gunners, having missed an opportunity to beat Tottenham in similar circumstances earlier in the month, needed to stand up despite significant injury problems.
That they did so seriously shifts the title needle.
Liverpool have shown improved form recently, Newcastle are coming to terms with their new status – particularly with that remarkable Champions League victory over Paris St Germain – and Tottenham are improving rapidly under Ange Postecoglou (and sitting top of the table). But with Chelsea and Manchester United still in the wilderness, it’s fair to say that it still feels like a two-horse title race in the long term.
That was underlined when Liverpool and Newcastle both dropped points ahead of the kick-off at the Emirates.
So, Arsenal, who are still trying to convince the football world they have enough to go one better than last season and finally lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004, knew they had a point to prove.
What we were looking for was evidence to prove any remaining doubts had been extinguished - and even though in terms of quality a narrow victory over City wasn’t top level, and Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner took a heavy deflection off Nathan Ake, the fact that was delivered echoes loudly. A significant hit on Pep Guardiola’s champions.
Pre match, Guardiola insisted Arsenal are ‘back’ and would be title contenders alongside Liverpool. And he was proved right in a match that had more needle than magic moments - but in which Arsenal proved the stronger characters.
Some of the big questions were certainly answered, others were not.
Declan Rice answered this one on his own, with an outstanding performance. Some questioned whether he was worth €125m, but he’s brought Arsenal the midfield drive they have missed for so long.
Despite losing to Lens in midweek and twice throwing away a lead against Spurs recently, this match showed that belief is still strong. And the Emirates crowd believes too…
Again, Arsenal answered this one in a feisty match in which they stood their ground - even when decisions went against them. Including the referee’s failure to send off City’s Kovacic.
Considering Saka and Partey were missing, and Martinelli was on the bench, this was a tough one to answer. True, it took the introduction of Martinelli to make it happen, but fellow sub Kai Havertz made a contribution and Arsenal got through a difficult test. You suspect they will still look to invest in January, especially up front. But the signs are good.
The answer is still ‘yes’ given they created so few chances without him. This was the first game he had missed in 88; and his absence was painful. But winning without him is a major boost to confidence.
Another area that remains under discussion. Gabriel Jesus was kept quiet by Gvardiol and Eddie Nketiah wasted his only chance. Would an Ivan Toney style make a difference? The answer has to be yes.
Bringing in Raya from Brentford for his ball-playing skills, despite Aaron Ramsdale being such a popular team member, was a big call and on this performance the jury is still out. Raya is undoubtedly good with his feet and had an outstanding season in west London last year. But against City he was shaky, several times giving the ball away and looking nervous on crosses. He grew in confidence as the game went on and, ultimately, he kept a clean sheet in a vital win. Arteta can say that all went well. But there were one or two warning signs to keep an eye on.
With an emphasis on ‘can’ you have to say yes. But there are still plenty of caveats. The good news is that the Fifa Club World Cup will make Manchester City’s season even more complicated and could give Arsenal an advantage in December. The bad news is that Saka, Martinelli, and Partey seem to be regularly picking up knocks and the season won’t get any less intense.
You also have to consider the rise of deadly rivals Tottenham, who remain top of the table for now. An away trip there, and an away fixture at the Etihad are still to come. But Arsenal will be happy with this result and it adds momentum to an interesting season.
Arsenal are not yet a perfect squad. But they are ticking a lot of other boxes…