Hits & misses: Arsenal look like contenders; Liverpool slump cause for concern

Arsenal look like contenders

Mikel Arteta was eager to downplay expectations after Arsenal’s north London derby win over Tottenham. “We have done nothing yet,” he said in his post-match press conference.

But the jubilant Arsenal supporters who filed out of the Emirates Stadium, singing as they went, following a resounding victory which took them four points clear of second-placed Manchester City, are unlikely to listen. Their team look like contenders.

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Why shouldn’t they dream? Arsenal have taken 21 points from a possible 24 so far this season and their latest victory, achieved in a raucous atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium, showed for the first time that they can do it against big-six opposition.

Their transformation is above all down to personnel. Rob Holding, Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny, all of whom started the costly 3-0 loss to Spurs in May, are gone from the team. In, instead, are William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus.