Seldom has a season started so disparagingly for Arsenal as 2017-18. This term has seen the
Gunners lose two of their first three games of the season, endure mounting criticism of Arsene
Wenger’s role as manager and now face the prospect of losing Alexis Sanchez for nothing next
June.
The Invincibles, they surely are not.
But the north London outfit have the chance to turn things around at home to Bournemouth in
Week 4, and Saturday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium will be seen as an early must-win matchup.
In late January/early February 2016, Arsenal broke a seven-year drought by failing to score in
three consecutive Premier League games, a streak they’ll revive should they fail to break the
Cherries’ lines this Saturday.
But a more embarrassing fate awaits in Week 4, too. Not since January 2012 have Wenger’s men
lost three league matches on the bounce, and after losses to Stoke City and Liverpool in Week 2
and 3, respectively, that’s the worst possible outcome at the Emirates.
Their only saving grace is that those defeats to the Potters and the Reds both came away, and
Arsenal haven’t been beaten at home in six Premier League outings. What’s more, Bournemouth
look weak at present having failed to clinch a point so far this term.
A stand must be taken if they’re to revive any top-four hopes, and there’s like home to do so.
Liverpool and Manchester City’s early Premier League season performances have been far more
spirited thus far and have both teams positioned just two points off leaders Manchester United
prior to Saturday’s early kick-off.
Depending on which side of Liverpool we see—the one that drew 3-3 at home to Watford on the
campaign’s opening day or the one that’s kept successive clean sheets—this could go one of
several ways.
Pep Guardiola’s is slowly instilling a winning attitude at the Etihad Stadium, where his men are
unbeaten in 13 matches and have scored at least twice in seven of their last eight outings, a
record to make any Premier League opponent quake.
But Jurgen Klopp is having a similar rousing effect on Merseyside, and the fact the Reds are
unbeaten in their last seven games speaks volumes.
Neither Stoke nor Arsenal will be considered the most offensively sound of Premier League teams,
however, and the Citizens are sure to throw an entirely more structured, potent threat their way.
Liverpool’s scintillating attack could prefer to go hammer and tongs in an attempt to simply beat
City at their own game, but the Etihad has proved itself to be an unaccommodating venue for
such teams in the past.
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