Currently top of the table, Arsenal have had a brilliant start to this season and look like prime contenders for the title. What would you say are the key differences from previous seasons?
The obvious
one would be personnel. Arsenal have brought in players who have elevated our existing style of play and crucially offered us a way of breaking down defences in a way we simply couldn’t do last year.
The squad depth we have also means that however an opposition sets up against us, we have a solution and a way of winning. There is a tactical versatility we just didn’t have last year.
Mikel Arteta is under huge pressure to deliver a league title with Arsenal – do you feel like the club will be rewarded for their patience to let him develop a team over time?
Hopefully yes, and it’s been refreshing to see in the modern game that he has been given time to make mistakes and learn from them.
People forget that this is Arteta’s first managerial role. Yes, he learnt from the best in Pep Guardiola but there is a huge difference between working with a leader and being a leader yourself. The club clearly bought into his vision early on which is why he is still here.
Arsenal improved their depth massively with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and more – how have they got so far?
Martin Zubimendi arrived without much fanfare as it was reported that the transfer had been agreed back in January, but he has been exceptional.
Viktor Gyokeres has started well and it’s perhaps only in his absence now he’s injured that we can really assess how valuable he is to Arsenal.
It’s a huge shame Madueke suffered an injury so early on as he looked very sharp in his first few appearances, while Eze is really starting to bed into this team. No complaints from me, basically!
Declan Rice is one player I feel has really become world class and has really raised his game – what makes him so crucial for Arsenal?
There is almost nothing that Declan Rice can’t do. He is as important to us in defence as he is attack, combined with a level of fitness that means he simply never stops running.
Much has been made of Arsenal’s reliance on set-pieces but this has only been achieved by the quality of deliveries Rice is able to consistently provide. £105m? Priceless, more like.
With Gyokeres now injured, the question will be who will step in up top for Arsenal? Do you think we’ll see the return of Mikel Merino in that position?
Quite possibly. Merino scored a brace in Arsenal’s midweek Champions League game against Slavia Prague so it feels inevitable that he’ll be called upon to play upfront again.
The Spaniard is still such an enigma to a lot of us but he’s becoming a real clutch player and even if we don’t fully understand his position or role, we don’t really mind!
Granit Xhaka will have mixed opinions among Arsenal fans from his tenure in North London. What was your initial reaction when he joined Sunderland and how would you summarise his time with Arsenal?
I have nothing but love and respect for Granit Xhaka.
The night he was booed off the pitch at the Emirates was one of the most shameful moments as an Arsenal fan. He was merely a scapegoat for an overall unhappy and underperforming squad. His renaissance in his last two seasons for Arsenal was sensational and to come back from that awful moment should be respected.
It’s great to see him back in the Premier League and absolutely thriving with Sunderland because he is clearly a born leader. (Please don’t score against us though…)
Dan Ballard never made it past U21 level for Arsenal and has made his way back to the Premier League since joining Sunderland. Did you expect him to reach this level again once he had more experience under his belt?
Ballard has always spoken kindly about his time at Arsenal, even if ultimately it didn’t work out.
His story is a really interesting one as it speaks to perseverance and commitment over a long period of time to get to where he is today, which is refreshing in a world where we are obsessed with short-term results and instant gratification.
His career path should be proof to young footballers everywhere that professional sport is a marathon and not a sprint, and as long as you are learning then you are moving forward.
Sunderland currently sit within the Champions League spots which has been a dream start – what have you made of our new look side under Regis Le Bris?
Sunderland thoroughly deserve to be where they are because they have shown a bravery in how they play that we don’t often see from promoted sides.
The win at Chelsea was a great example of how a high press can be effective. There is a balance to Sunderland both in and out of possession that looks more like a side very used to grinding out results in the Premier League, rather than a promoted side looking to steal points where they can.
Aside from set-piece dominance, how would you describe Arsenal’s currently style of play under Arteta?
Arsenal’s current style of play is to completely suffocate the opponent.
‘Boring boring Arsenal’ has been the phrase of this season but there is a phenomenal level of skill and organisation that Arsenal maintain to restrict the opposition to so few chances.
Upfront, Arsenal have the ability to be both controlled but also explosive and fast. If a team sits back, we’ll likely hit them with a set-piece. If they give us space, we have the speed to hit them on the counter and get in behind. The intensity is genuinely relentless.
Are any players missing and who do you think Arteta will select?
We have a worrying number of attacking injuries so Arteta won’t have a huge choice in who he picks to face Sunderland.
Thankfully the back line remains fairly stable and has been phenomenal, but up front I think we’ll see a front three of Trossard, Merino, and Saka. Gabriel Martinelli may well find a spot on the bench but with Gyokeres, Madueke, Havertz and Odegaard all still out, there isn’t a huge amount of wiggle room.
Sunderland’s last win over Arsenal came in the FA Cup back in 2012 – what is your score prediction for this time around?
This will be tight. Sunderland are likely to be the most challenging team Arsenal have faced in the Premier League since the end of September. I suspect Arsenal’s clean sheet record may be under threat, but I’m still going for a 2-1 Arsenal win.
