Arsenal have enjoyed a stellar start to the Premier League 2022/23 campaign and remain top of the table after the 2-1 win over Fulham.
Goals from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes saw the Gunners fight back after the latter was at fault for Aleksandar Mitrovic's shock opener. Mikel Arteta showed he has a plan B when things aren't working, with substitute Eddie Nketiah having a big impact off the bench and helping breakdown Fulham's defence.
Oleksandr Zinchenko missed out as a precaution after suffering a slight sprain in his knee, but Kieran Tierney was able to come in and perform well after recovering from injury. Arteta was full of praise of his side's reaction to going a goal down, but after a strong start to the season, there are still many more tests to come Arsenal's way heading into September.
READ MORE: Why Martin Odegaard shouted at Kieran Tierney as Mikel Arteta hails Arsenal's maturity
The Gunners have again come away with all three points as they look to maintain their 100% record in the Premier League. So, with some tough tests on the horizon for Arsenal, football.london compares the north Londoners' next five games with their rivals Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.
Aston Villa (H) - August 31
Aston Villa have won just one of their opening three fixtures but have the players to cause Arsenal problems all over the pitch. Having got off to a good start against Crystal Palace in their last fixture, they quickly fell away in the game resulting in a convincing defeat for Steven Gerrard's side.
Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will be hoping to put in a good performance against his old side, whilst William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will look to keep Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho quiet. Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners in the same fixture last term, with the Gunners winning nine of their last 12 games against Villa.
Manchester United (A) - September 4
Manchester United have turned a corner under new manager Erik ten Hag after a dismal opening two games, with wins over Liverpool and Southampton showing there are signs of improvement at Old Trafford. The Gunners lost 3-2 in a tightly contested affair away against United last term and will be hoping that their impressive form can see them pick up a better result this season.
It remains to be seen whether United will be a serious challenger for a top four spot under Ten Hag, with captain Harry Maguire and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo having been dropped in the past two games.
Everton (H) - September 11
Arsenal dominated the game against Everton at the Emirates Stadium last term, winning 5-1 against Frank Lampard's side on the final day of the season. Prior to that result, the Gunners failed to win three of their last four outings against the Toffees.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side can score another five goals against Everton when the two sides meet in September. The Gunners will play their first Europa League group stage fixture against FC Zurich just days before they host Lampard's side at the Emirates Stadium.
Brentford (A) - September 18
Brentford were able to beat the Gunners on the opening day of the season last term despite Mikel Arteta's squad being hampered with injuries and Covid-19 absentees. Arsenal face a tough test away from home against the Bees, with Manchester United having already lost 4-0 against Thomas Frank's side.
The Gunners will be eyeing revenge after last season as they look to continue a strong start to the season.
Tottenham (H) - October 1
The big one. Arsenal missed out on Champions League football at the hands of their north London rivals last season and will be hoping to repeat the result they earned at the Emirates Stadium last term again this season.
Both clubs have made a number of new signings and will line up with different players compared to last season, but the atmosphere and rivalry will always remain. A win against Spurs could lay down a real marker as to just what Arsenal can achieve this season, as well as give the players a huge boost heading into a packed month of fixtures ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Chelsea's next five fixtures
Southampton (A) - August 30
West Ham (H) - September 4
Fulham (A) - September 10
Liverpool (H) - September 18
Crystal Palace (A) - October 1
Tottenham's next five fixtures
Nottingham Forest (A) - August 28
West Ham (A) - August 31
Fulham (H) - September 3
Manchester City (A) - September 10
Leicester City (H) - September 17
Manchester City's next five fixtures
Nottingham Forest (H) - August 31
Aston Villa (A) - September 3
Tottenham (A) - September 10
Wolves (A) - September 17
Manchester United (H) - October 2
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