Arsenal may have won three games on the bounce, but Mikel Arteta isn't about to get carried away.
Since returning from the international break, Arsenal has been a dominant force, winning three games on the bounce, scoring 13 goals and conceding just two.
With Arsenal now up to second in the league table, there is an air of confidence about the Gunners right now, and that was only further enhanced after the 5-2 drubbing of West Ham at London Stadium.
A blistering 36-minute first-half spell saw the Gunners slam on four goals from Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz before two quick-fire West Ham goals brought the home side closer.
But a Bukayo Saka penalty calmed things down in what was an otherwise dominant display. However, despite his side playing some superb football over the last few games, Mikel Arteta knows that his team must stay the course because there are dangers lurking around every corner.
"We are in a great moment right now, but in football, be on your toes and be prepared the best possible way for tomorrow because it's so competitive," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "This league, the position that we are playing every three days, that's the only thing that you can do, you know, analyse what we've done really well. A lot of things to improve and still today, go again tomorrow."
Enjoy the highlights from our thrilling 5-2 victory over West Ham United 🍿 pic.twitter.com/oKERUh5aen
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
Arteta is right.
For all the good work the team has done in their last three games to claw themselves back into title contention, if the Gunners fail against Manchester United, then all of that work will be undone.
The time is now to consolidate their good form and push through. Considering Liverpool are already six points clear with a game in hand, the margin for error is small, which isn't ideal after only 12 league games.
But after a rough start, that is where Arsenal finds itself. The positive is that since the international break, things have been rolling, and this team is looking like the dominant force it once was last season and at the beginning of this year.
However, we know how fickle football can be and all it takes is one bad result to have people sharpening their pitchforks, and that is something that Arteta and Arsenal want to guard against.
It has been a superb three-game stretch but now is not the time to stop and smell the roses—it's all gas, no brakes from here on out.