Arsenal's resilience is on full display as they navigate the challenges of their busy schedule. Despite being without two of their key centre-backs for multiple games, including Gabriel, the Gunners have shown remarkable strength and depth.
The gap at the top of the Premier League remains a mere five points, but it's not just Arsenal's form that has raised eyebrows – their rivals are struggling to keep pace as well. Manchester City, who had been gaining momentum, has suddenly lost steam, with defeats at Newcastle and against Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool, who finally dropped Mohamed Salah, also suffered an unexpected loss at West Ham.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who had risen to second in the table, drew 1-1 away from Arsenal despite having a man advantage for most of the game. The Blues' struggles are not entirely surprising, given their recent signings and the fact that Didier Drogba's absence has been felt deeply by his team.
Arsenal's performance on Sunday was reminiscent of the early days of the Premier League, when every big clash was a brutal battle of muscle. The Gunners showed impressive resilience in coming back from behind against Chelsea, with Bukayo Saka eventually equalizing after a fine cross from Mikel Merino.
One area where Arsenal has struggled is their tendency to be knocked off course by freak occurrences, such as injuries or surprise equalizers. However, this latest week suggests that they have finally developed the resilience of champions. They outplayed Tottenham and Bayern on consecutive days, before drawing away against Chelsea despite losing a key defender in William Saliba.
The team's ability to adapt to physical opponents is also noteworthy. While Arsenal conceded three goals in their last two games that came from set-plays, they have shown themselves more than happy to mix it up when necessary. The presence of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié as deputies for Gabriel and Saliba has given the team a sense of security, and Christian Norgaard remains available in reserve.
The main concern is that the gap between Arsenal and their rivals remains relatively small, which could put pressure on the Gunners to perform consistently over the coming weeks. However, with fixtures like Aston Villa ahead, it's likely that the lead will grow as the season progresses. For now, though, Arsenal are showing all the signs of a team built for success – and it's hard not to feel that they have finally overcome their vulnerabilities of recent years.
The gap at the top of the Premier League remains a mere five points, but it's not just Arsenal's form that has raised eyebrows – their rivals are struggling to keep pace as well. Manchester City, who had been gaining momentum, has suddenly lost steam, with defeats at Newcastle and against Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool, who finally dropped Mohamed Salah, also suffered an unexpected loss at West Ham.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who had risen to second in the table, drew 1-1 away from Arsenal despite having a man advantage for most of the game. The Blues' struggles are not entirely surprising, given their recent signings and the fact that Didier Drogba's absence has been felt deeply by his team.
Arsenal's performance on Sunday was reminiscent of the early days of the Premier League, when every big clash was a brutal battle of muscle. The Gunners showed impressive resilience in coming back from behind against Chelsea, with Bukayo Saka eventually equalizing after a fine cross from Mikel Merino.
One area where Arsenal has struggled is their tendency to be knocked off course by freak occurrences, such as injuries or surprise equalizers. However, this latest week suggests that they have finally developed the resilience of champions. They outplayed Tottenham and Bayern on consecutive days, before drawing away against Chelsea despite losing a key defender in William Saliba.
The team's ability to adapt to physical opponents is also noteworthy. While Arsenal conceded three goals in their last two games that came from set-plays, they have shown themselves more than happy to mix it up when necessary. The presence of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié as deputies for Gabriel and Saliba has given the team a sense of security, and Christian Norgaard remains available in reserve.
The main concern is that the gap between Arsenal and their rivals remains relatively small, which could put pressure on the Gunners to perform consistently over the coming weeks. However, with fixtures like Aston Villa ahead, it's likely that the lead will grow as the season progresses. For now, though, Arsenal are showing all the signs of a team built for success – and it's hard not to feel that they have finally overcome their vulnerabilities of recent years.