Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has admitted that he and his teammates are not shocked that they sit top of the Premier League table just over halfway into the 2022/23 season. The Gunners have recorded 16 wins from 20 games losing just twice with one of those defeats coming last weekend against relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park.
Fortunately for Mikel Arteta's men, their five-point gap remained intact through an unlikely source with their north London rivals Tottenham beating Manchester City on Sunday. Ahead of their huge battle at Emirates Stadium next Wednesday, City had the chance to edge within two points of their title rivals, but for the fifth consecutive time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, City were beaten without scoring.
Home outings await for both teams this weekend though with Arsenal facing Brentford on Saturday, before Man City welcome Aston Villa to Etihad Stadium. The two title rivals will then the come to blows the following week.
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Despite their points margin remaining the same, Arsenal legend Paul Merson sent a stark title warning to Arteta and his team after their defeat to the Toffees with some concern for how they performed on Merseyside.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "Arsenal were not moving the ball like they usually do. Martin Odegaard was taking too many touches on the ball, which is unlike him.
"They were not popping the ball about quickly and their play was slow. I said before the game that if Arsenal turned up with the right attitude, they'd win 3-0, but if they didn't have the right attitude, I thought they'd get beat."
He continued by insisting that defeat would not define their season but that how they proceed now is extremely important. "Arsenal are not going to win every game," he said. "They were always going to lose games, but now, after the Everton defeat, it is how you respond."
Merson seems to have now been given an indirect answer from the Arsenal captain Odegaard about their response on the training ground which reinforces the belief he had in the team from the very start of the season.
"The way we were working in pre-season, I had the feeling that we could do something special," he told The Telegraph. "For the players it is not a shock that we are where we are. We are enjoying it. But we know we can improve. No one is satisfied. Everyone just wants to get better.
"The last few days [after defeat at Everton] have been maybe the best training sessions we have had for ages. That says a lot."
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