In their last 2 games, Arsenal have beaten Tottenham Hotspur in a North London Derby, decisively at 3-1; and then, today, beat Liverpool 3-2, on 2 beauties, one in the 1st minute of the 1st half and 1 at the stroke of halftime, and a 2nd-half penalty.
It has been a long time since Arsenal were a joy to watch. Even when we were winning trophies from 2014 to 2017, a small, stupid, but increasingly loud and selfish subset of the fanbase ruined it for the rest of us.
They got what they wanted: Arsène Wenger out. They said, "We want our Arsenal back!" They got their Arsenal back: A non-Wenger Arsenal, a bunch of slowpokes who struggled to qualify for Europe.
If they'd left the great man alone, he could have handed the team over to Mikel Arteta on his own schedule, we would have won more, and we'd probably be where we are now, but it would be a "still," not an "again."
But, 9 games into the 38-game Premier League season, The Arsenal are top of the League. They have gotten great goalkeeping from Aaron Ramsdale; superb defense from Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko; amazing playmaking from Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Emile Smith Rowe; and fantastic goals from Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. (Yes, 3 players named Gabriel. All from Brazil.)
Too soon to get excited? No. Too soon to talk trophies? Perhaps. But even the media is talking about The Arsenal as if they are for real. And I am enjoying it.
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