Johnny Phillips: Early doors, but Gunners are facing a crunch week
It feels a tad early to be discussing title-deciding games, but if the league cannot be won in September then certainly it can be lost.
That is the way many Arsenal fans will be thinking, ahead of a gruelling week when so much has gone against them already in terms of preparation.
Arsenal’s challenge in the Premier League this season could all rest on the next two games – both of them away from home – against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
After dropping points against Brighton and Hove Albion in their last league fixture a fortnight ago, Mikel Arteta’s side simply cannot afford to allow City to gain any further ground so early in the season.
Aside from that rash moment from Declan Rice, when the England midfielder was sent-off against the Seagulls, Arsenal have looked a commanding and fairly complete unit in the opening month of the season. They need to be, because City – with a rejuvenated Erling Haaland in attack – just do not look like dropping points.
Without the suspended Rice for tomorrow’s North London derby against Spurs, Arteta is going to have to find an alternative to bolster up his midfield in what is sire to be a firecracker atmosphere.
An obvious replacement, Mikel Merino, fractured his shoulder in training immediately after his arrival from Real Sociedad so he is also ruled out. And then there is the injury to playmaker Martin Odegaard to factor in, with the early signs suggesting he has returned from international duty with Norway requiring some time on the sidelines.
