Arsenal are enjoying a fine season, sitting top of the Premier League table and in the Europa League last 16.
The process Mikel Arteta has been working on is finally starting to reap dividends.
Two of the final pieces of the jigsaw came last summer from the very team they’re up against in the title race.
Manchester City allowed Arsenal to sign both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus.
Both players have been outstanding for the Gunners and have helped take them to the next level.
‘Right under the cosh’
Sam Allardyce, speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, spoke about the signings of Zinchenko and Jesus.
The veteran coach reckons Pep Guardiola will be in for some criticism if Arsenal beat City to the title this season.
“He’s (Guardiola) going to get some stick though for selling those players to Arsenal if they win the league,” said Allardyce.
“He’s going to get some stick about that by the way. All the fans will look and say ‘look at what it’s cost us’ if they don’t win the league, he’ll be right under the cosh I think.
“It’s his buddy isn’t it, he was with him for years and he helped him get the job at Arsenal and now he’s given him two quality players to go.
Allardyce then spoke specifically about Arsenal’s signing of Zinchenko.
He said it was “strange” that City allowed him to make the £30million move to the Emirates Stadium.
This is especially odd after also letting Joao Cancelo leave the Etihad Stadium in a move Allardyce deemed “unusual”.
“It’s a strange one for me because he can play left-back and left midfield, but left-back particularly, they haven’t really got a natural left-back now,” he said.
“They’re playing a centre-half there at the moment and they let the other full-back go on loan, Joao Cancelo, which is another unusual one.”
Struck gold
Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, isn’t it?
Based on the last few seasons, there weren’t many indications that Arsenal would’ve been title challengers this term.
Just last season, the Gunners stumbled at the last to miss out on Champions League football.
And previous signings from title challengers – David Luiz and Willian to name but two – weren’t exactly game-changers.
However, Arteta knew what he was doing and has been building slowly but steadily to the current high point.
Perhaps Guardiola will not be so eager to deal with Arsenal any time soon, despite the good relationship with Arteta.
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