On the back of a commanding 0-3 win away to Slavia Prague in the Champions league on Tuesday night, Arsenal head north to face newly promoted Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, the third of a three match road trip ahead of the upcoming international break.
The Gunners are humming right now. 10 wins on the trot with 9 clean sheets has seen them tabbed by nearly every major outlet and pundit to finally end their 21 year title drought. Banter Era Arsenal have been replaced by a ruthless winning
machine that have methodically dismantled the opposition without so much as letting them get a sniff of the goal. They sit at the top of the league table with a 6 point gap and have all but cemented a spot in the top 8 of the Champions League league phase.
It’s lovely stuff for Arsenal fans, who are desperate to see their side lift some long overdue silverware. But football discourse changes on the drop of a dime, and today’s darlings are tomorrow’s whipping boys. Slip ups are punished to the maximum degree, and the margins for error are non-existent. With the season only slightly over a quarter of the way through, the job is far from done. The teams behind them are finding their form, and the view from the top is easily spoiled if Arsenal stop too long to smell the roses.
A rapidly depleted Arsenal head off to face a defensively sound side that has yet to lose at home and has shown a tenacious capacity for hurting teams late. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s top two title rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, face off in a heavyweight bout with massive title implications. Can the Gunners see out this run of away matches with a win and potentially gain a little extra daylight before a welcome break?
Here are three talking points ahead of Saturday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Sunderland have made the most of their return to the Premier League after an 8 year hiatus from England’s top flight. While too many promoted sides have gone right back down in recent seasons, Sunderland have given themselves a solid cushion of safety, occupying 4th place on 18 points with a 5-3-2 record.
Their rise up the table has been one of the most unforeseen (but enjoyable) developments in a season full of surprises. They shot out of the gates with a 3-0 win against West Ham on the opening day and have followed that up with a fairly consistent run of form. Their marquee performance came two weeks ago when they bested Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, propelling them to 2nd in the table, a spot they could reclaim with a win this weekend.
The Black Cats set themselves up for PL success with a busy summer, splashing €115 million on 11 transfers and 2 loans, including former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and former Hale End product Dan Ballard. So far, it’s paid off immensely for them. Xhaka has quickly become their talisman in the midfield, donning the captain’s arm band in his first season and putting in the types of performances we came to expect during his final years at Arsenal.
Statistically, they project as a mid-table side. They are at the lower end of the league in the attack (12th in goals scored, 16th in xG, 14th in shots, 18th in shots on target), but have been bolstered by one of the league’s better defenses (3rd in goals allowed, 4th in xG allowed, 2nd in xG per shot) that doesn’t give up anything for free. Like Arsenal, they make it incredibly difficult for opponents in the defensive third. They have yet to concede more than 2 goals in a match, but every match in which they have let in 2, they have lost.
Though the attack is not their strength, they play with an intense determination and can claw back from deficits, as they did against Chelsea and this past week against Everton. On four occasions this season, they managed a draw or win after the opposition scored first. Arsenal have enjoyed a rich vein of form, but will need to keep their heads on a swivel at the Stadium of Light. If the Gunners score first, they will desperately need to find a second goal to keep the hosts at bay.
Fun random fact: Sunderland’s majority shareholder and chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is third cousins with Seinfeld/Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Injuries & Suspensions
Arsenal are in the midst of yet another spell of frustrating injuries. Compounding the frustration is that the crisis has disproportionately hit the attack. Following the recent knocks to Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökeres, six first team attackers are set to miss Saturday’s fixture, including all three strikers. Sigh.
Thursday did bring some promising news when Gabriel Jesus was spotted in first-team training with the rest of the players. After nearly a year out of the side, it is a wonderful sight to behold. He is certainty still a few weeks out from featuring, but a few matches with the U21s to get his match fitness up will get him that much closer.
OUT: Viktor Gyökeres (knock), Gabriel Martinelli (groin), Kai Havertz (knee), Noni Madueke (knee), Martin Ødegaard (MCL), Gabriel Jesus (ACL)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Trossard, Merino, Saka
Arsenal’s attacking depth has been tested far more than anyone would be comfortable with over the first months of the season. Following Viktor Gyökeres’ knock on Saturday, Mikel Arteta will once again look to unicorn Mikel Merino to lead the line following his Man of the Match performance against Slavia Prague. Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka are the only healthy first team wingers available at the moment and have been putting in solid performances. With a spate of players expected to return to action after the break, they will need to be on their game for one more match before reinforcements mercifully arrive.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Eze
Martin Zubimendi got a forced break when he was suspended for the Slavia match due to yellow card accumulation. He is back in the lineup for Saturday’s pivotal match with a full week’s rest. His ball winning and progression will be massive as Arsenal aim for an 11th consecutive win. Eberechi Eze came off the bench midweek and got a 30 minute cameo with the game well out of reach, so he should be poised for another start. Meanwhile, Declan Rice has been in the middle of an impeccable run of form as the league’s best CM with a goal and an assist in the past two matches.
Defense: Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
Arteta’s left back carousel saw Riccardo Calafiori enjoy another quiet evening on the bench in Prague. After the left back position was decimated with injuries last season, the current rotation has been a welcome bit of player management from the gaffer to keep players fresh. Calafiori has become the de facto starter in the Premier League for the Gunners and has embraced his new role as the side’s agent of chaos. Gabriel, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber all retain their spots for another crucial match ahead of the break.
Keeper: Raya
Death. Taxes. David Raya starting in goal. Arsenal’s shot stopper will look to earn another league-leading clean sheet on the road in a tough environment.
Arsenal have turned a lot of doubters into believers over the last 5 weeks. Alone at the top, they know the path ahead isn’t going to remain as easy as they have made it look since the end of September. Far too many recent seasons have seen the Gunners gain momentum before a series of fatal slip-ups at the end of the calendar year cost them dearly. Maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time around. Their caliber is unquestionable, and their drive increasingly evident. Now they simply need to keep their wits, stay consistent, and keep doing the little things right.
WHO: Arsenal at Sunderland
WHAT: Premier League match day 11
WHEN: Saturday, November 8th, 12:30pm EST/9:30am PST/5:30pm GMT
WHERE: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on NBC. Streaming on the Peacock and Amazon Prime Video apps.
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