As bumps in the Premiership road go, Arsenal’s has been a decidedly uncomfortable trip to watch, with perhaps only Liverpool’s journey the more devastating. The pair clash on the 3rd of April, although, perhaps, the 1st of May have been more appropriate for last year’s runaway Premier League winners and the fallen giants from North London. Meanwhile, the Gunners visit the Karaiskakis Stadium for the Olympiacos vs Arsenal encounter this week.
The Gunners have 10 days ahead of them that will probably define this erratic campaign with a trip to Greece on Thursday (11th), Spurs at home on Sunday, and the second leg against Olympiacos the following Thursday.
Let’s split those into priorities. Firstly, Arsenal must learn the lessons of their two encounters with Benfica that were finely poised on a knife-edge before a miracle occurred. Failure this time against the determined Greek side will see the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side quadruple because as things stand, Arsenal fans are looking at a rather pointless run-in with a sixth or seventh position finish likely.
Some fans I have spoken to say that only success in the Europa League will rescue the season, not just making the final but bringing the trophy home. That’s an understandable sentiment, although, on current form, it’s entirely unrealistic because only consistency wins cups.
The thought of just a handful of Premier League games that see Arsenal thirty points off the pace hardly sets the pulses racing, but let’s assume that the Gunners take their chances in the Olympiacos vs Arsenal game and are two goals to the good, the nerves for the second leg would be substantially decreased and they could, perhaps, provide a positive vibe for the NLD against a Spurs side that have suddenly put together a run of wins. That has to end on Sunday.
Chief tormentors Son and Kane are in fine form and it will take incredible team performance to interrupt their goal-scoring exploits. As Arsenal showed last time around, they aren’t at that level and have no answers defensively to the quick counter. Gareth Bale adds to a three-way threat which doesn’t bode well, so the Gunners will have to dig deep to get anything from the Olympiacos vs Arsenal encounter.
A second loss in a season to their rivals would hardly help Arteta’s cause, with some fans already unconvinced by his management style and more importantly, the results and performances. In truth, this fixture is no more than a case of owning the bragging rights between the four-mile divide that separate the two with a win serving Spurs delusions of superiority, and for Arsenal, it’s three points in an otherwise disappointing season.
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The following Thursday depending on the outcome of this week, Arsenal could look forward to the Europa League draw where they will meet much tougher challenges than they have thus far. Success in this competition will now be down to organised and compact performances, where only two chances may surface per game, the Gunners must take them as they arrive, they have a habit of not doing so.
10 days, three games, and each one as important to Arteta and Arsenal’s fans. How will it go? It depends on which Arsenal turns up, doesn’t it?
