da wazamba： The Emirates will be a far more relaxed place this week, as we finally say goodbye to November. The month that has cursed Arsene Wenger throughout his managerial career is gone for another 11 months.
da bet7k： Things could have been disastrous for the Gunners this November, with pivotal Champions League games and matches against both Tottenham and Manchester United, but they have escaped the month relatively unscathed, even if a little short on momentum.
[ffc_insert title=”An Ode to Thierry Henry” name=”Golden Goal” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2000-10-01T000000Z_1_MT1ACI235759_RTRMADP_3_SPORT.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/arsenal/arsenal-v-manchester-united-an-ode-to-thierry-henrys-greatest-ever-goal” link_text=”Relive a wonderstrike” ]
Performances have slipped to a level that is scarily reminiscent of Arsenal teams previous to this, mind. An additional notch of grit and resilience has made November less than appalling for Wenger’s side, with a late goal at Old Trafford, a scraped draw with Paris Saint-Germain and a hard-working victory over Bournemouth keeping the unbeaten record intact. That, in itself, is a confidence boost for a team who have so often fallen short during the periods of strife during a season. Wenger’s side look a more complete unit than previous campaigns, able to cope with a couple of injuries, as the second string shows it can still work towards result, even if the performance are not as exciting.
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When the fixture list looks quite as daunting as November had done for Arsenal, its easy to place an excess amount of importance on each fixture. This month could have been a calamity for Arsenal, it could have ended in a run of defeats and seen them drift away from title contention. That, frankly, was unlikely. Considering their previous form, this was perhaps the least that was expected from the Gunners in the month of November and they produced it. A slight gap has built from the league leaders, but they can still take comfort from the fact there is plenty of room back from Spurs in fifth place.
Other Arsenal sides could have crumbled either in some of November games or between times. They were not without their periods of peril, but – while form has dipped – Arsenal are still in with a shout of competing across multiple fronts this season. A usual crisis point for the Gunners sees far more destruction than we have witnessed to date, this is comparative small fry. So much has gone wrong for Arsenal over the last decade, it is easy to see any minor blip as a season defining crisis.
This is far from that. If Arsenal see this as their worst period of the 2016/17 season, they are set for an enormously successful campaign. The November curse is still very much present, but this team is hardened to adversity and must now look ahead to a positive December.