It's crunch time for Arsenal's season. Having seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the race for the top four with three defeats in a row against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton, the Gunners are now arguably in the box seat again thanks to shock wins over Chelsea and Manchester United.
What's been most impressive about the victories is the lack of key personnel available. Kieran Tierney is out for the season and although Thomas Partey has been pictured back on the running machine a return for him before the end of the campaign still seems unlikely. Captain Alexandre Lacazette was also absent for the wins over 'big six' opposition after losing his place in the line up to Eddie Nketiah due to a mixture of a positive test for COVID-19 and his poor form.
There is no sense though that Arsenal can afford to rest on their laurels at this stage. While Manchester United and West Ham appear to be out of the race for the top four, Tottenham are still very much hot on their tails, with next month's rearranged North London Derby set to be crucial.
