Good evening. Like hope and the humble mullet, progress comes in many forms. On this day three years ago, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The game is remembered for Raul Jimenez suffering a fractured skull, a shocking incident that almost killed him. It was also Arsenal’s fifth defeat in 10 Premier League games, a run they soon extended to eight in 14. At Christmas they were 15th, and many people expected Arteta’s stocking to contain a P45.
Three years on, Arteta’s Arsenal are again being criticised – but this time it’s polite, qualified criticism about a team who are top of both the Premier League and their Champions League group. You don’t need a degree in xG to know that Arsenal haven’t been as dynamic or exhilarating as they were in the first half of last season, yet that may well be a positive.
If Arsenal get anywhere near their attacking play of 2022-23 while retaining the £105m worth of solidity they added in the summer - and there’s no tactical reason why they can’t - their 20-year wait for one of the two big prizes may come to an end.
Arsenal play Lens at the Emirates tonight knowing that a win would ensure qualification and top spot, which almost certainly means a kinder draw in the last 16. They could qualify before kick off, depending on the result in the early game between Sevilla and PSV. As things stand, with Sevilla 1-0 up through Sergio Ramos, Arsenal are in the last 16.
They’ll want to win regardless, especially as they owe Lens one after a 2-1 defeat in the return fixture. All things being equal, it’ll be a comfortable night for Arsenal. And even if it isn’t, they will enter December in infinitely better shape than they did three years ago.
Kick off 8pm.