After smashing Manchester City 5-1 on Sunday, Mikel Arteta's side have another of their most bitter modern enemies in their sights

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

After the first two weeks of January, Arsenal's season appeared to be running on fumes. There was already a sizeable gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool, and their hopes of domestic-cup glory took two hefty blows.

The Gunners were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by 10-man Manchester United on penalties, while Newcastle rocked up to the Emirates Stadium and left with a two-goal cushion from the first leg their Carabao Cup semi-final. It felt like Mikel Arteta's men had ran out of steam, that their various and rotating cast of injuries across the campaign had caught up with them.

There was criticism that the month-long gap between the two League Cup legs would cut off the excitement of the two semi-finals, but this has allowed Arsenal to build momentum again and they are now peaking at the perfect time. Sunday's 5-1 demolition of Manchester City was their fifth win from an unbeaten run spanning six games, a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa the only blemish on that record.

Going to St James' Park and winning by at least two goals is no easy feat, obviously. That doesn't mean it's impossible, or even unlikely at this point, though.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportFinding their groove

Arsenal have had the bit between their teeth since their FA Cup elimination at the hands of United back on January 12. They immediately bounced back from that disappointment with a comeback win at home to north London rivals Tottenham, with the 2-1 scoreline flattering Ange Postecoglou's side. Another minor bump in the road saw the Gunners surrender a two-goal lead against Villa, before maintaining their Premier League and Champions League pushes with more dogged victories against Dinamo Zagreb, Wolves and Girona.

Then came the seminal moment in their season – Sunday's humbling of City. Arteta and his squad have been tormented by the reigning champions for so long. They needed their revenge, their day in the sun, the precedent to be set that they could get one over their newest rivals.

It played out perfectly. At 1-0, Arsenal were a little hesitant to commit bodies forward, and it's ironic that Erling Haaland's equaliser was the shot in the arm needed to perk the Gunners up. From there, they showed no mercy, finding the back of the net four further times to send City on their way.

The vibes are back. There will be an energy around London Colney this week of belief that they can head to Tyneside and return as Carabao Cup finalists.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGoals finally flowing

The long-term injury suffered by Bukayo Saka in December left many Arsenal supporters wondering where their goals were going to come from. Sure, there were a lot of players who could chip in here or there, but they were all in a funk and, ultimately, the team still lacked a prolific option. Their hopes of upgrading in the transfer market fell flat, too.

Previously, Arteta has been dug out for his side's over-reliance on creating opportunities from set-pieces rather than open play, but that trend has managed to reverse over the last few weeks. None of the five goals scored against City, for example, were from dead-ball situations, rather mainly created via quick transitions and aggressive pressing.

Everyone is playing their part. Kai Havertz, while still lacking in composure, managed to pluck a fine finish out of thin air despite his crisis of confidence, while Ethan Nwaneri, still only 17, has emerged as Arsenal's fiercest striker of a ball in the absence of Saka. The midfielders are running up their numbers again too, taking a bit of pressure off a frontline that is under immense scrutiny.

AFPFamiliar resurgence

We've seen Arsenal pull this trick before. If you cast your mind back to the midway point of the 2023-24 season, they were floundering in the title race and appeared far more stale than the team who blew everyone away the year prior. The free-flowing football had been replaced by stodgy performances and narrower wins.

And then they turned the tap back on. Arsenal romped their way to several victories by five and six-goal margins. The true elite don't only sneak past you, but blow you to smithereens in full view. Once they rediscovered that scoring touch again, they didn't lose it, going on a City-esque run of 16 wins, one draw and one defeat in 2024. It wasn't enough to usurp Pep Guardiola's charges, but it showed the world that they weren't merely a flash in the pan.

There is a similar feeling about Arsenal now, and best of all, they haven't even hit their newly traditional mid-season reset yet. Much of last year's resurgence was put down to a winter trip to Dubai, allowing the squad ample time to rest and regroup. They have those same plans off the back of Wednesday's trip to Newcastle, with a 10-day gap presenting itself until their next competitive fixture.

AFPImportance of silverware

We find ourselves at the same juncture as one month ago, with Arsenal's lack of silverware an all too familiar talking point. The 2020 FA Cup triumph against the backdrop of the coronavirus lockdown was with an altogether different team, one flittering between eras and heading straight into the wood-chipper of rebuilding, a last hurrah for the old guard.

This current team, led by Saka and supported by the likes of Martin Odegaard and William Saliba, haven't won together. As Gooners have heard plenty to their dismay, little separates this side from Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham of the mid-2010s. They are a great side, but one that is critically acclaimed rather than one that wins trophies.

If they are to keep their Carabao Cup hopes alive, then they will have to not only topple Newcastle, but beat them by several goals. Fortunately, the Magpies have left the door ajar in that sense.