Arsenal are preparing for a North London derby against Tottenham this weekend, after their eight-game clean sheet streak ended vs Sunderland.
Coming out of the international break, Arsenal are sat on top of the Premier League table, four points clear of Manchester City, who managed an impressive 3-0 win against last year’s champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
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The Gunners are in control at the moment, with a lot of Mikel Arteta’s success down to his solid defence with the likes of Gabriel, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. They have played 11 games so far this season, conceding just five goals, which is form to match any past Premier League champion.
However, they conceded twice against Sunderland before the international break, to bring an eight-game clean sheet streak to an end, which came as a shock not just to Arsenal, but probably to the Black Cats too.
Eight Games of Perfection Undone: What Went Wrong at the Stadium of Light?
After such a good run, Arsenal’s defence showed signs of vulnerability against a Sunderland side who have been the real surprise package in the Premier League this season.
Both of Sunderland’s goals against the Gunners involved long balls into the box, something that Arsenal have dealt with so well over the past few months. But, the likes of Gabriel, Saliba and Zubimendi looked really confused whenever balls went into the box, which is very uncharacteristic.
It shouldn’t be something that worries Arteta too much, but it certainly will be something that he will be keen to fix against Tottenham, especially considering that Thomas Frank will have noticed the weakness and potentially plan to exploit it.
Gabriel Injury Adds to Defensive Concerns Ahead of Crucial Run
On top of their defensive frailties against Sunderland, Arsenal have more worries with centre-back Gabriel suffering an injury which could see him out for up to two months.
Going into a tough North London derby without their star defender will also worry Arteta, and will place all the emphasis on the likes of Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, or Ben White, depending on who he decides to replace Gabriel with.
Furthermore, it isn’t just the Tottenham game, as after that, Arsenal have two very tough matches, with the first coming against Harry Kane and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, before facing Chelsea at a hostile Stamford Bridge.
Only time will tell as to whether the Gunners’ defensive mistakes against Sunderland were just a blip, or if it is a sign of things to come.
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