Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are the creative forces behind Arsenal's title and are worth mentioning alongside the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp Photo: Getty Images/Stuart McFarlane
Around the 40th minute of Arsenal's match against Bournemouth, a growing sense of fatigue and frustration began to be felt among the home fans. It's not that their team played poorly. On the contrary, the fluid, progressive football of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka was convincing. Rather, Bournemouth's stubborn defense prevented Mikel Arteta's side from getting the reward they deserved. Fans complained about Mark Travers, the Bournemouth goalkeeper, wasting time on goal kicks, berated the referee for not fouling them every time there was a brutal tackle; in short, they felt hot under the collar.
And in a way, you could understand why. Last season, games like this proved Arsenal's undoing. They simply didn't have the toughness, let alone the cunning and cunning, to guarantee victory when things weren't going smoothly. Those fans who a year ago experienced disappointments so close but so far suddenly began nervously insisting that history was repeating itself.
But it soon became clear that this year was different. And the terrible anxiety that had gripped the stands dissipated just before the break when Havertz cleverly converted the penalty. After that, the fear left the building. Eventually, when the wonderful Declan Rice scored the third goal, the fears were allayed. That's what worthy title contenders do: they find a way. And now Arsenal, after the decline of the last 12 months ago, know exactly how to find a way out. Much to the relief of their supporters.
For loyal Arsenal fans, such victories increasingly evoke happy memories. Twenty years ago the Gunners had a team so adept at finding their way that they went the entire season unbeaten. Not since the days of the Invincibles has Arsenal had a team that combined skill and athleticism with cunning and cunning as this team did. Not to mention show that he has the necessary cunning to make a serious shot at the title. Until now.
Can Arsenal celebrate the Premier League title at the end of the season? Photo: Getty Images/Rob Newell
Such is the growing prowess of Arteta's side, their tactical flexibility and internal strength, that for the first time since Arsene Wenger's triumphant combination took over the game, comparisons are beginning to be made. Indeed, some Arsenal fans with longer memories are willing to suggest that this team may actually be better: faster, slicker, smarter.
That's a bold statement. To begin with, the 2004 team had four world-class players: Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole. As good as Odegaard, Havertz and especially Rice were in securing victory over Bournemouth, none of Arteta's players could be called that yet. But if you compare like that, David Raya can be considered a better goalkeeper than Jens Lehmann, the central defender pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba can at least compare with Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, Saka is not far away. Compared to Robert Pires, Leandro Trossard's treatment bears a passing resemblance to Freddie Ljungberg, while Martin Odegaard has been compared by some to Dennis Bergkamp.
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