I think even the most fervent Arsenal fan may have been surprised to hear we’d reel off five straight wins to kick-off our league campaign this season, but here we are.
While it may not have been the perfect performance against Steven Gerrard’s struggling side last night, the result was ultimately the right one and our quite remarkable winning run was maintained. Given where we were at a similar stage last season, this is real and tangible progress.
As Mikel Arteta said post-match last night, the only shame was that we didn’t score three or four goals, particularly in the first half. As a 45-minute period in isolation, it was probably the most dominant and complete we have been as a team in the Arteta era.
Villa didn’t have so much as a sniff while we created a host of gilt-edge opportunities that, if we’re being frank, should really have been put away. A one-goal lead at the break is better than no lead but it is always vulnerable to shocks, as it would later prove.
Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka were troublesome all half on their respective flanks while Gabriel Jesus was an outright bully through the middle. Martin Odegaard was pulling the strings as only he can while great credit must also go to Sambi Lokonga, who managed the ‘six’ role with security and diligence.
Villa were reduced to the sort of crass, thuggish tactics better suited to the 1990s and demonstrative of a coach in Gerrard who is out of his depth and fast running out of time at Villa.
Our dominance was not quite so complete in the second half and our visitors certainly enjoyed more of the ball, albeit without creating a great deal of threat. Their equaliser was a perfect demonstration of the sort of freak occurrence that can change games when chances aren’t put away.
Thankfully, however, this team has developed a quite remarkable knack of responding to adversity in a quick and decisive way. As they did against Leicester and Fulham, the Gunners rallied within minutes and put themselves back in front, with Martinelli latching on to Saka’s chipped pass to finish high past a flailing Emi Martinez.
It was no less than we deserved for our efforts. For Villa to have taken anything from the game would have been a gross injustice. I remember a Villa team that featured Jack Grealish playing us off our own park a few seasons back – this side feels like a million miles away from that one.
For a certainty, much tougher tests lie ahead for this fast-maturing Arsenal team but, if only for a short time, lets savour this result and this run. It has been brilliant at times and there has been so much to enjoy. For the first time in quite a while, it feels like we are genuinely competitive. Not ‘win the league’ competitive but more than a match for most sides in this league.
Much sterner tests lay in store for us this season, not least this weekend when we travel to Old Trafford. United will be galvanised by their home advantage and slightly improved mood of late so I would expect a real battle and our perfect start to come under threat.
For now, though, we have a transfer deadline day to enjoy/dread/lament so stay tuned for any breaking news on signings!
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