Arsenal are on track to win the golden calendar once again.
Given a 5-1 chasing by Bayern Munich during the week, Arsenal fans will have wanted some fighting talk from their manager Arsene Wenger ahead of Sunday’s North London Derby.
The Gunners’ proud run of qualifying for the Champions League knock-out stages are hanging by a thread after Wednesday’s drubbing but they are flying in the Premier League, second to Manchester City only on goal difference.
They could go top if City somehow manage to not beat Aston Villa and Arsenal dispose of their local rivals.
Naturally, Wenger was talking up his team’s form ahead of the derby at the Emirates.
Wenger: "We are on a trend since the first of January 2015 that is consistent." #AFCvTHFC
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 6, 2015
Arsenal are indeed the form team of 2015, winning 21 of their 30 league matches since January. But such statements from Wenger only highlight that his sides have failed to string an entire league campaign together since their last title in 2003-04.
Since then it has been either strong starts or powerful finishes, but never the two combined. Hopes of keeping their current form going will be tested by their current injury crisis, with Hector Bellerin added to a lengthy casualty list that includes Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere (naturally) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Such is the shortfall of bodies that Wenger saif Friday that he may be forced to risk Laurent Koscielny, despite a hip injury that saw him sit out Wednesday’s match in Munich.
“Koscielny may be back but Bellerin is ruled out already,” said Wenger. “From one competition to the other. I believe in the Premier League we have a strong confidence and we want to reproduce it on Sunday against Tottenham.”
