It has been a happy time for Arsenal fans, with the resurgence of a team who started the campaign going down 3-1 at home against Aston Villa and is now on a 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
There was some tension between fans and team after that 3-1 loss at home, especially after manager, Arsene Wenger, reiterated time and time again that he was going to spend money to bring new talent to the Emirates. The two signings Arsene Wenger made by the time Arsenal played Aston Villa was for Yaya Sanogo, the young French striker who found success playing for French Ligue 2 side, Auxerre and Serge Gnabry, who joined the Gunners from VfB Stuttgart during the summer. Arsenal, however, found its stride against Fenerbahce, cruising to a 3-0 victory that helped it get one step closer to earning a spot in the Champions League group stage and also beat a Fulham team that now finds itself near the bottom of the Premier League table.
Arsenal were soon haunted by injuries to two key players in Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who are still recovering. Theo Walcott is also recovering from an abdominal injury.
Patience was the name of the game for Arsenal fans, as Arsene Wenger raced to bring talented players to the Emirates. His first signing, Mathieu Flamini, the hard-working and strong central midfielder was back in an Arsenal uniform after leaving AC Milan (the club he left Arsenal for in 2008). I’m sure Arsenal fans were happy to have a familiar face back at the Emirates but Flamini also brought with him great mentality and respect for the Premier League game.
The day before the summer transfer window closed, Arsenal hosted North London rivals, Tottenham, who had recently parted ways with superstar Gareth Bale who ended up going to Spanish giant, Real Madrid. Arsenal beat Tottenham 1-0 at home, bringing joy to players, coaches and fans. It’s always nice to win a derby match, especially one against a talented Tottenham side, but that win wasn’t the only thing that brought joy to the Emirates.
On transfer deadline day, Arsenal made one of the biggest moves of the summer by signing 24 year old Real Madrid midfielder and German international, Mezut Ozil. Wenger said, “We have watched him and admired him for some time as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player. Mesut is a top quality footballer who will be a fantastic addition to our talented squad.” With the signing of Mesut Ozil, Arsenal soon became a top contender for trophies this season.
Since the arrival of Flamini and Ozil, Arsenal have not been beaten. Along with their fantastic play, other players have also shined, like central midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who was recently crowned Premier League Player of the Month for September, with 8 goals in 11 matches in all competitions this season. Striker Olivier Giroud, who joined Arsenal in June of last year from French Ligue 1 side Montpellier has also sparked Arsenal’s offense, scoring 6 goals in 11 matches in all competitions.
Arsenal sit atop of the Premier League table with two tough matches on the horizon against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and Chelsea in the Premier League. Arsenal are going to look even stronger with Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, and Walcott all returning to the first team soon.