Martin Odegaard’s brace at Molineux means Arsenal will be top of the Premier League table until the other side of Christmas; a barely believable situation, but one Mikel Arteta is determined to enjoy.
The Gunners have defied expectations to open up a five-point lead on reigning champions Manchester City heading into the World Cup hiatus and while Arteta would prefer to capitalise on the momentum his squad has built, he says his focus will return to how he can further improve the squad.
“It’s great to be where we are,” he said after the 2-0 win at Wolves.
“We are enjoying that moment, and we have a big break. We have to reflect on what we are doing, and be very much prepared for what is going to come after the World Cup. But, our aim is to play better as a team every single day; to have better tools to do what we want to do on that pitch.
“I can say that it has been phenomenal to work with these players and staff.
He added: “When a team is in that moment, you want to carry on playing obviously, but it is not possible.
“We have to use the time now in the best possible way so the players who are not participating in the World Cup, they will have some time off, which they fully deserve.
“The rest just fulfil a dream that every kid has had, when they had a chance to represent their national team in a World Cup. It doesn’t get better than that.”
If Arteta sounds surprised by what his side are doing, it’s probably because he is. Nobody expected Arsenal to be five points shy of perfection at this point in the season; it is the club’s best ever start to a league campaign.
Asked what he’s made of the season so far, he said: “I need a week or so to do that.
“Obviously, nobody expected us to be where we are right now and the amount of games that we have managed to win, but I am more focused on our way of playing and our way of living together, the atmosphere that we have in this dressing room and around Colney and what we have generated with our supporters in our stadium and the relationship between every member of the club and that’s much more powerful, and my job is to focus after on playing better every game.”
Asked if his squad are surpassing his own expectations at this point in the season, he replied:
“Yes, but I take it day by day and not even in game by game. I understand that the better we do the daily things and we commit to doing those things better every single day, every individual is going to contribute to the team to be better and that’s what I want too.”
Those members of Arsenal’s first team squad who’ve not been selected for international duty will now be afforded 10 days holiday before the group regathers for a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
You deserve it, lads. Enjoy!
Top of the league at Christmas!!! Santa is a gooner
The North Pole is RED!
To be a gooner is what Santa wants for Xmas. If he’s a good boy….
*Santi
Well….he DOES wear red and white!
Arteta out.
Ozzie Ardiles? Is that you with the sour grapes? Hahaha 🤣
That loss at united proves he’s not the right man for the job!
😂
I laughed.
23 people didn’t (at time of writing)
Arteta out…standing?
At least 26 people (and counting) don’t get sarcasm!
🤣🤣genius copywriters!
Amen Mikel!
This iteration of The Arsenal gives me a buzz like no other. The best thing about it is the ceiling of this squad is so high I can’t even see it. COYG
Hello to all down there, mind the gap, and merry Christmas
Mind the GAPS
No player ratings yet?
Blogs had mentioned he wouldn’t be around in the evening after the game. So, maybe delayed a little longer.
But for me it’s 10/10 for everyone – we are top of the league!
the man was at a wedding
What type of excuse is that?….
Who gets married half way through the football season.
On a Saturday ???
Several weeks of nothing coming up, shameful timing.
5 points clear at this stage, playing after city every game and delivering, just give everyone a 10 in your head and enjoy the long break.
Personally I am so delighted with every player starting, the subs and even the ones that don’t make the bench for where we are now. The last thing I need is discussing any flaws any day for these six weeks
Well said!
You’re gonna love the next 6 weeks of transfer tittle tattle
I’ve rarely woken up with such massive hangovers, and been so happy.
Title or not, I will try my best to remember these days – it’s been a long time since it’s been like this.
On the whole there’s not been too much good news out of The Emirates (excepting the odd cup win) for quite a while and it feels like we’re really building something there now, not just “getting through”.
Being 5 points top after 14 games is absolutely phenomenal, well done lads.
But this ‘being top for Christmas Day’ is really just irrelevant superstition. I prefer to look at it as we’re top after 36.84% of the season.
Can’t wait until Boxing Day – the Emirates will be buzzing for West Ham, evening kick-off – so I’m already looking forward to those mid-season friendlies next month.
Though with Martinelli, Saka, Saliba all going to Qatar this week – it seems those signed contracts won’t be in Santa’s stocking before Xmas so we’ll have to wait until the new year.
were actually top until 2023
No because Man City could win on December 28 and 31, and we could lose on the 26th and 31st. Six point swing.
Unless of course you’re in Australia, which is 11 hours ahead (Canberra), in which case Man City’s fixture at 15:00 UK time on Dec 31 will actually be 02:00 on Jan 1 2023 in Canberra.
Sorry.. dropping this here, because it wound me up no end last night…
Half time analysis on sky all about the non penalty, claiming VAR have said no offside. Full time they subtley say “VAR didn’t draw the lines for offside”… two totally different things. Looked a genuine offside, but most of the analysis was about “if that was given it was a different game”.
Anyway.. it wasn’t and I feel a lot better now I’ve written that down haha!
Indeed, the anti Arsenal dialogue was in full swing, I went to the fridge and got another beer as opposed to listening to that dross
And whilst we’re on the subject of the anti Arsenal brigade, I see Neville reckons City will win the title by 15 points.
I sincerely hope if Arsenal go on and clinch it, then the Old Trafford 1998 and 2002 sour grapes munching rat faced cretin will then do us all a favour and top himself.
Love this team.
Where are the player ratings? I want to give them all a ten.
Safe from relegation yet no one has mentioned it ? Spuds not there yet !!
No not even mathematically close.
Forest in 18th are ‘only’ 24 points behind us.
They have 23 games left, so 69 points to play for.
I can’t help but feel like this will be our Liverpool 13/14 season. We’ll start crying with joy too soon, Xhaka will slip on the turn, and the season will have to settle for 2nd. I know I know, I just can’t enjoy it!
Enjoy it for what it is, not what your scared it won’t become. Try living in the moment.
Don’t worry about any of that, just hold on and enjoy the ride
Relax, Bro- dreams do come true.
Up to Finsbury Park via St Thomas’s Road. Chuck a right onto the Seven Sisters Road. Keep going, straight over Manor Park, until the road bears left into the Tottenham High Road. Keep going until you see a massive fucking toilet bowl rising above you.
Congratulations. You’re home.
No fare charge. This one’s on me.
4 points shy of perfection* it’s so good it doesn’t even sound understated it is.