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The teams I lifted the top-flight title with in 1998, 2002 and 2004 all have something in common with Arteta’s current side – all of them have suffered the pain of not winning something.
In 1998 we had gone six years without a title. In 2002 it came after we finished second behind Manchester United for three years in a row and again before the 2004 ‘Invincibles’ season.
This team
Premier League leaders Arsenal continued their impressive start to the season with a comfortable win at Burnley to make it nine consecutive victories in all competitions.
Goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice sealed the win – their fifth in a row in the league – as Mikel Arteta’s side moved seven points clear at the top, albeit having played a game more than some of their rivals.
It was
Eberechi Eze scored against his former club as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points.
Eze joined the Gunners in a deal worth £67m in the summer and his winner came from another trademark Arsenal set-piece.
Declan Rice curled a free-kick into the area which was knocked down by centre-back Gabriel, then Eze acrobatically fired the ball into
But Arsenal have had the best defence in the last two seasons and still finished second, so what’s potentially different this time around?
While it’s still early days, we’re not just looking at them having the best defence this season but one of the best in any Premier League campaign.
Their current rate of conceding just 0.38 goals per game means if they were to maintain that for the whole
Arsenal, who host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday (20:00 BST), have changed their style this season to be more direct and play through defensive lines quicker, which has meant Rice moving deeper alongside Zubimendi when starting attacks.
A recruitment specialist working in top level football told BBC Sport how the signing of Zubimendi has complemented Rice’s game.
He said: “It hasn’t changed what he can do as
It was a case of deju vu for Newcastle.
Liverpool snatched a dramatic late victory at St James’ Park with a stoppage-time goal last month, and Arsenal followed suit on Sunday.
Leading in the 83rd minute, Newcastle will rue how they did not at least come away with a point after conceding two late goals, particularly after finding a way to take the lead from a set-piece of their own.
As soon as it was announced before the match that Gyokeres would be arriving in Singapore, the pre-season friendly was not going to be the most important topic of the day.
Supporters in the stadium were mimicking the trademark celebration of the Swedish striker and, when he was welcomed to the pitch from the tunnel surrounded by flames, the noise levels went up a notch.
The 27-year-old forward has not
Arsenal fans will get to see their new midfielder Martin Zubimendi in action for the first time on Wednesday – 12 months after the Gunners first set in motion a deal to bring him to the club.
The 26-year-old, one of the most highly-rated number sixes in Europe, played his first minutes for Arsenal in a behind closed door friendly against Watford last Saturday.
But his first appearance in front
It is our understanding Arsenal came into the summer with two primary striker targets – RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Well, there was a third – but the chances of securing Alexander Isak from Newcastle were deemed largely unrealistic.
A move for Slovenia international Sesko has substantial backing from key figures at the Emirates – including Arteta.
BBC Sport has learned the player’s agent, Elvis Basanovic,
Arsenal are in talks to sign defender Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia.
The Gunners want to make a defensive signing this summer and the 20-year-old Spaniard, who can play at centre-back and right-back, is emerging as their favoured option.
Arsenal have shown interest in Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, but the England international may be reluctant to join given that he may find opportunities limited behind Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.