Arsenal will look to do something they have never done before in the English Premier League – win six matches on the bounce.
But Manchester United will be standing in their way, as the Gunners visit the Old Trafford club today (5.30pm) in what is expected to be a blockbuster. Having won five opening games, it means Arsenal have emulated this best start of the 2004-05 campaign, where they went on to finish second.
In the 2003-04 season, Arsenal went on to win the EPL title, going the entire season without a defeat, to create what is now known as the Invincibles under Arsene Wenger.
Interestingly, it was in the 2004-05 season where Arsenal’s unbeaten run came to a crushing end at United after 47 matches. That fabulous unbeaten run also ended at Old Trafford with goals by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney.
The Gunners are in top gear this season, having been the only side to have won all the opening five matches and sitting at the top of the table with 15 points. However, they visit a United side that has its tails up after winning three matches on the trot, to move to fifth with nine points.
Arsenal manager Michael Arteta, aware that Manchester City and Liverpool will come back stronger in the later stages in the season with the former lying second on the table, will be happy with the contribution of Gabriel Jesus so far.
Arteta was looking to shore up his midfield department since Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are both injured.
“With Mo, probably it is a little bit easier (to give a time frame) and we are talking months,” Arteta said at an ESPN news conference on Friday. “With Thomas, we are talking weeks or even shorter than that, I hope.”
Quizzed about his disappointment at missing out on Luiz, Arteta said: “You see the number of departures compared to the players that we have recruited.
“We did business pretty early but unfortunately in the last 72 hours, Thomas got injured in the same place he got injured last time and then Mo has a long-term injury and we had to react in the market.”
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