They say little should be read into the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English soccer season.
Maybe this year is an exception.
Back in early August, Arsenal scored an equalizer through Leandro Trossard in the 101st minute in regulation time and went on to beat Manchester City in a penalty shootout at
Aside from winning a piece of silverware, it was hailed by Arsenal’s players as a statement victory — despite the uncompetitive nature of the fixture.
“The mental block is gone,” goalkeeper
Well, maybe they are right.
And that’s not just because Arsenal woke up Wednesday to a five-point lead in the
Scoring late goals — a trait demonstrating resilience and character — has become the norm for Arsenal. Dare it be said, it’s a sign of a champion team.
Just in the first 15 league games of this season, Arsenal has scored in the 96th and 101st minutes to beat
That's nine points gained with goals scored from the 84th minute or later. Maybe that late rally in the Community Shield was a portent for how this season will go.
“We don’t want a draw, we want to win,” Arsenal manager
The seeds of these comeback wins were sewn last season when Arteta’s teams produced a number of late recoveries in games to snatch crucial points in the title race.
The most memorable was Reiss Nelson’s winning goal against Bournemouth that sent Arsenal fans wild at
Arsenal again looks to be the team most likely to stop City winning the
Last season, its title bid imploded in the final two months, weighed down by injuries to key players —
Could this season be different?
Arsenal has a few things going in its favor.
Rice, a club-record signing for
There's better strength in depth across the squad, in terms of numbers and experience.
Arteta's approach also appears to be different this season, going for more control than chaos — before the Luton game, anyway — to help the team better last the distance in a grueling campaign that also includes playing in the
“Playing every three days and you have to win every game and every game, the demands are there,” Arteta said. “It’s the way they go about it, how much they want it.”
After the pain of the end of last season, Arsenal's players might want it even more.
There are questions marks about the wisdom of Arteta's decision to bring in goalkeeper
Whether
“He’s getting better and better,” Arteta said of Havertz.
Arsenal's season may yet be derailed by injuries or going deep in the
Yet it appears that, on a psychological level, the Gunners are in a good place to have another go at winning a first league title since 2004.
Digging deep to regularly score these late goals is proof of that.
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