When August ended, Arsenal were pointless and goalless, keeping Norwich off the foot of the table. When the third international break arrived, they were fifth, seemingly on a quest to go from bottom to top.
Since August, Arsenal are the Premier League’s only undefeated side and have amassed an unrivalled 20 points. They arrive at Anfield on Saturday as the kings of autumn, but with the possibility this will rank as the latest of the false dawns that have pockmarked Arsenal’s recent past.
Their other two meetings with the title favourites were chastening affairs, albeit in their awful August. They were bullied and schooled by Romelu Lukaku as Chelsea won 2-0. They were reduced to 10 men, eviscerated and embarrassed as Manchester City ran riot in a 5-0 win.
Yet each came with patched-up, second-string defences. Mikel Arteta’s new-look rearguard are unbeaten as a unit. Indeed, Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu have never tasted defeat as Gunners. Ben White had a shaky debut at Brentford but since being united with Gabriel Magalhaes, he has been imperious.
Now the Arteta Invincibles – unbeaten in eight, rather than the full 38 Arsene Wenger’s side managed – face trial by Mohamed Salah. Liverpool against Arsenal is a fixture with a certain significance, and not merely for those with memories of 1989. The Gunners’ first loss last season came on Merseyside; thereafter Arteta abandoned the 3-4-3 that was a revelation as they won the FA Cup and, indeed, beat a Liverpool side already crowned champions in the summer of 2020.
Once again, Arsenal face the question if a system is sustainable. Again, it is an attempt to crowbar Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang into a line-up that may leave them short-staffed in the centre of midfield. Arteta’s recent reversion to 4-4-2, and uncharacteristic experiment with a genuine strike partnership, was aided by Aston Villa and Leicester playing 3-5-2 against them.
The victory over Villa ranked as one of two outstanding performances in Arsenal’s golden run, along with the North London demolition of Tottenham. The triumph at Leicester was arguably their best result, facilitated by a fantastic first half but secured by some stunning saves from Ramsdale.
The goalkeeper can be the personification of the Arsenal revival: youthful – Arteta has named the youngest teams in the division this season – and a signing by the Spaniard who was initially greeted with scepticism as many wondered what Arsenal had to show for their status as the summer’s biggest spenders. Parachuting Ramsdale into the team ahead of Bernd Leno was the gamble that has proved a masterstroke. Now there is the sense that long-term planning has provided a glimpse of a bright future.
The sight of three Arsenal players starting for England, for the first time since 2014, felt doubly symbolic when the others were the homegrown Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, who both scored in the 10-0 thrashing of San Marino. They are the faces of the new Arsenal, the endearing entertainers.
And yet the nature of Arteta’s Arsenal is that, while his overall record is undistinguished, the highs have been sufficiently high to suggest they are on the route back to glory and the lows often deeply depressing.
Arteta’s intelligence and training-ground prowess are apparent as he oversees impressive wins after finding a formula and formation, only for someone to unlock it. But perhaps sometimes he stumbles on a short-term solution, and this could rank as another.
Without Granit Xhaka and potentially Thomas Partey, he may name understudies in midfield. Anfield, where Arsenal have conceded 28 goals in their last eight games, is a place where failings have been exposed and plans abandoned in the past. Arsenal must hope history does not repeat itself.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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