Accumulation of positive results slowly quashing Arsenal doubts

Posted Tuesday, October 28, 2014 by ESPN

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain compared his Arsenal teammate Alexis Sanchez to Luis Suarez during the weekend. So how do their numbers stack up through their first nine career Premier League matches?

The Premier League is an interesting beast this season. Despite it being blindingly obvious that they're struggling for form, Arsenal sit fifth in the table, just three points behind Man City, and ahead of Liverpool and Manchester United.

Some of that, of course, is down to the problems other teams have. Only Chelsea can really say they've performed to their expected level in the opening nine games of this campaign, but even they fell foul of a late goal, dropping two points at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It topped off a good weekend for the Gunners. Not only did the gap on Chelsea close, all the teams around them -- those likely to be rivals for the top four -- dropped points. Liverpool could only draw with Hull (Arsenal know how that goes!); Man City were beaten by West Ham; and Spurs were beaten at home by a Newcastle side getting only their second league win of the season.

At this point Arsenal have to find the positives. Their confidence is so low that it's going to take time for it to build up. Results will do that, but results are hard to come by when you're playing a different back four every week and you've lost two key members of it to injury. Indeed, it might get worse in the coming days when we learn more about the hip problem that forced Kieran Gibbs off at the Stadium of Light.

However, a week that at 9:25 p.m. last Wednesday evening looked as if it was going to be another horrific one in terms of results, was turned on its head by the two late goals against Anderlecht. All of a sudden the European campaign was back on track, and following that up with a win and a clean sheet on Saturday added a bit of sheen to a seven day period that began so disappointingly with those two dropped points to Hull.

Accumulation of positive results slowly quashing Arsenal doubts
Lukas Podolski's late goal helped Arsenal earn all three points at Anderlecht.

There's only so much analysis you can do of why Arsenal aren't performing before people want to bash you over the head with a brick and tell you stop. We've done tactics, we've done formation, we've done players being played out of position, we've done World Cup hangover, we've done injuries. And more injuries. And just when you think there can't be any more injuries there are some more injuries.

Eventually you just have to look at the results. Perhaps you're looking at them with your fingers crossed, rabbit's foot around your neck and wearing that lucky pair of socks your granny got you last Christmas, but ultimately it's all that counts. Yes, performances can be improved but so often the two go hand in hand. Anyway, after having seen their team play well too many times before and not win, Arsenal fans should not be overly churlish about how the points are racked up.

This Saturday they face Burnley, a newly promoted side currently second from bottom of the table. Three points are expected. A better team display would help the Gunners build some momentum and add just a bit more belief to a side desperately looking for it in any way possible. After that it's Anderlecht at home. The fixtures are kind right now and they have to take advantage.

It's easy to understand why Arsenal are struggling right now, but each good result slightly quashes some of the doubts. And if worst comes to the worst, there's always those lucky socks.