It is an exciting time to be Gooner as this new-look Arsenal has plenty to offer on the pitch. Off the back of three successive victories, this Arsenal team led by Thomas Vermaelen has the fans engaged in cautious optimism. If the Liverpool game was a chance for the new signings to shine, the Southampton game was an effective display of Arsenal’s offensive prowess, and the difficult away game against Montpellier was a test of our defensive solidarity and resolve.

The week leading into Sunday’s match against Manchester City at the Etihad has had Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong back in first team training after a long lay-off, and they can only have a positive impact on the team in the weeks to come. In keeping the momentum going, Arsenal must now shift its focus to making a miserable week for the champions complete, and here are the 5 reasons why Arsenal should be able to do just that.

 

5. Steve Bould

Arsenal has now conceded just 2 goals in 5 games. Had it not been for Wojciech Szczesny’s mishandling of a cross against Southampton, Arsenal would have made a defensive record to the start of the season. There is no denying that Steve Bould, who succeeded Pat Rice as assistant manager, is having a profound effect on the way the players contribute to the team’s defensive efforts. Even the offensive triad of Podolski, Giroud, and Gervinho have been tracking back when they lose the ball in the middle of the pitch, and the likes of Arteta and Diaby have been wonderfully effective in protecting the back four.

Our back line of Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, and Gibbs has shown a certain tenacity that Arsenal’s defense has been so lacking in recent seasons, and has made superb use of the offside trap so far. The team as a whole has been working as a defensive machine, and while it is too early to shower the team with undue adulation, Steve Bould’s work on the way Arsenal defends means that Manchester City is going to have a difficult time trying to find the back of the net.

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