The Perils of Premature Adjudication

Stand by for the gloom and doom merchants and their talk of ‘crisis’. It’s almost mid-September and Arsenal are 17th in the Premiership. Played 3, won 0, drawn 2, lost 1. Goals for 2. Goals against 3. Blame it on the new stadium. Blame it on ‘overplaying’ and trying to score the perfect goal. Blame it on Ashley Cole. Blame it on Arsene Wenger.

Nonsense, it seems, can breed almost anywhere. And when it does, certain important things can easily be forgotten, so let’s try to set the record straight.

Anyone with even an inkling of how much Highbury meant to Arsenal will know that its special aura cannot instantly be replicated, but anyone with half a brain can see that the magnificent Emirates Stadium has absolutely everything that is needed to become a proud and spectacular successor to Highbury, given time.

As for the results, consider this. Arsenal are already playing some wonderful flowing football and if they had taken just one third of the chances they have created in each of their three Premiership fixtures, they would now have maximum points and be at the other, more familiar, end of the table.

And in Europe, having last year finished as Champions League finalists, they currently boast a 100% record, having beaten Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 away and 2-1 at home.

Some crisis.