By Tony Attwood
So for much of the season, Arsenal have lost their entire forward line with injuries and just as they are coming back to fitness, we lose the back line. And yet Arsenal are the second highest scoring club in the league and have the best defence in the league.
And even though we all know the list it still looks utterly horrible. Gabriel got a hamstring issue, Timber had problems with his knee, Calafiori had already been damaged on international “duty” which of course is not a duty but a choice, while Ben White has a knee injury. And of Havertz there is no sign. Calafiori has a return date of later this month. Otherwise…
In effect we have had months of having lost the entire attack and how we seem to have lost the entire defence. It appears to be bonkers and bizarre and by and large it actually is.
But the point that seems lost on a lot of people is that DESPITE this run of injuries – which is not just a run of a lot of injuries but injuries coming in clusters around one part of the team – Arsenal are still second.
Can you imagine what anyone would have said if you had told them that Arsenal would be second at this stage of the season after this run of injuries? Not much probably as they would have been laughing.
What’s more, Arsenal are the second-highest goal scorers in the league and have the best defence in the league. Or if you want to put it another way Arsenal are 27 points ahead of Tottenham, although Tottenham do have a game in hand.
Of course, this doesn’t look good for the Real Mad game in a week’s time although before that we have a warm-up against Everton NewGround as I think they are now called – a team doing so badly they are actually below Tottenham in the League. (Everton incidentally have scored fewer goals at home than Arsenal have away, so with Saka back that could be fun).
In fact, although the media is already focussed on Arsenal’s patched defence being meandered through at will by Really Mad’s attack, our forthcoming league games are actually looking quite attractive… Everton, Brentford, Ipswich, Crystal Palace…. It could be a lot tougher.
There is of course the question of whether opposition clubs are now targetting Arsenal players with awful tackles, feeling that they are susceptible to injury but I doubt it, since to do so would primarily give a benefit to those teams who come along later. Although I still think there is a question about referees, but we will come back to that later.
But for the moment we really do need to focus on the League table and consider the fact that in spite of Arsenal having the worst injury record that we can recall in quite a few years the League table looks ok.
2
Arsenal 2025
30
17
10
3
55
25
30
61
2
Arsenal 2024
30
21
5
4
72
24
48
68
1
Arsenal 2023
30
23
4
3
72
29
43
73
5
Arsenal 2022
30
17
3
10
45
36
9
54
10
Arsenal 2021
30
12
6
12
40
35
5
42
The club is down of course on the last two seasons which can be put down totally to the injuries suffered in the attack – for the defence is in fact within a goal the best it has been at this stage across the last five years. And yes of course I know everyone is going on and on about not scoring as many goals as Liverpool – but here is a thought to remember….
Even with our team totally stripped apart by long-term injuries to senior players throughout the season, Arsenal have easily the second best goal difference in the League. Here’s the league table just in case you have not seen it of late…
1
Liverpool
29
21
7
1
69
27
42
70
2
Arsenal
30
17
10
3
55
25
30
61
3
Nottingham Forest
30
17
6
7
50
35
15
57
4
Chelsea
29
14
7
8
53
37
16
49
5
Manchester City
29
14
6
9
55
40
15
48
14
Tottenham Hotspur
29
10
4
15
55
43
12
34
So maybe it isn’t quite so bad as some make out.