Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten run that saw them keep eight clean sheets on the bounce had to come to an end at some point, but few would have predicted Sunderland would be the ones to end it.
However, that’s precisely what happened on Saturday afternoon, as the Black Cats scored two goals to hold the Gunners to a hard-fought draw.
However, there is no need to panic for Mikel Arteta and Co, as they remain four points clear of Manchester City atop the Premier League table, and still played some brilliant football in the second half.
Moreover, one of the Gunners’ stars who looked to be on the way out in the summer could now feasibly start for any team in the league, and his uptick in form has helped the club deal with a massive injury list.
How Arsenal have overcome their injury crisis so far
Now, most Arsenal fans and the players themselves would likely admit that the team simply weren’t good enough to seriously compete with Liverpool last season.
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However, what is equally true is that the team had very little chance of competing with the Reds, as, unlike their competition, they were drowning in injuries.
Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães, and Ben White were just some of the vital first-team players to spend time on the sidelines last year, and with a much thinner squad, there was very little Arteta could do to mitigate the impact.
Therefore, it makes a lot more sense why the club took the approach they did in the summer, forgoing the mega-money signings to bring in a larger number of players to bulk out the squad.
The decision to do it this way has already paid off massively this season, as the club has already been as unlucky, if not more so, than last year when it comes to injuries, but has had the backups to deal with it.
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Arsenal’s summer signings
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Player
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From
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Kepa Arrizabalaga
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Chelsea
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Eberechi Eze
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Crystal Palace
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Viktor Gyokeres
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Sporting
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Piero Hincapie
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Leverkusen
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Noni Madueke
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Chelsea
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Cristhian Mosquera
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Valencia
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Christian Norgaard
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Brentford
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Martin Zubimendi
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Sociedad
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For example, Saka was covered by Noni Madueke and then vice versa; Eberechi Eze is covering for Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres came straight into the side for Havertz, and Cristhian Mosquera has already filled in for William Saliba and Gabriel.
The North Londoners’ improved squad depth has been the number one reason they’ve been able to survive and thrive during their current injury crisis.
However, the international break might have come at the right time, as with Gyokeres now out, the team were threadbare in attack against Sunderland, even if a player who looked destined to leave in the summer but is now playing out of his skin once again found himself on the scoresheet.
The Arsenal player who could get into any side in the Premier League
There are a few Arsenal players who could realistically get into any side in the league this year, from most of the defence to Saka, who scored a sensational goal on Saturday.
However, it’s no surprise that these stars are playing out of their skin, unlike Leandro Trossard.
Now, there is no denying that the Belgian is a hugely talented footballer, as in his first full season for the Gunners, he produced 20 goal involvements in 46 games.
However, what is equally true is that he took a significant step backwards last season, producing as many goal involvements, but in ten more appearances.
Moreover, he also appeared far less influential on a moment-to-moment basis during games, and so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see him linked with an exit over the summer.
However, that exit never came, and he was instead handed a pay rise, which looked pointless at the time, but has since been more than justified.
For example, in just 14 appearances, totalling 832 minutes, the “little magician,” as dubbed by Arteta, has scored four goals and provided four assists.
That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 104 minutes, which is the sort of output that could surely see him start for any team in the league at the moment.
Moreover, it’s not as if he’s scoring meaningless goals either, as his strike against Sunderland put the Gunners ahead and ensured they left with at least a point.
Likewise, he scored the only goal in the win over Fulham and got the assist for the second in the win over Burnley.
Finally, his brilliant form has not been limited to these shores either, as he scored and assisted in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to ensure the North Londoners got their Champions League campaign off to a flier.
Ultimately, while he underwhelmed last season, Arsenal fans should be delighted that Trossard was never sold in the summer.
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By
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