Arsenal face Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final over two legs, however, the fixtures have drawn light on how intense the Gunners’ opening games of 2022 are.
The north London side kick off the New Year against Manchester City, a side they have not beaten at the Emirates Stadium since 2015. Liverpool and an away trip to Nottingham Forest follow their visit from the Premier League leaders, with a fixture at Tottenham capping off a torrid 16 days,
Whilst Arsenal’s form at the moment has been one of the best in the Premier League, facing three top-six sides in four fixtures in a span of 16 days could be a nightmare for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Indeed, Arsenal have historically faltered against these opponents in the Premier League. And losing even just two or three of these matches could be disastrous for their season.
The League Cup arguably presents Arsenal’s best chance of winning silverware this season, whilst the Gunners’ fixture against Forest will be a challenge given the Championship side’s impressive form under new manager Steve Cooper.
With the winter months also a period of the season Arsenal have usually struggled around, the fixture list does not bode well for the north London side, who could realistically be out of both domestic cup competitions and the top-four race by mid-January.
And as for supporters on social media, the fixture revelation has left some Arsenal fans fearing the worst heading into 2022.
After all, Arsenal claiming positive results in all five matches will be nothing short of a miracle. And fans are worried that these games could be a defining period for the north London side.
Here’s what some Arsenal fans had to say on Twitter about the club’s opening fixtures for 2022…
https://twitter.com/TurnMeUpChat/status/1473897876229169157
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