For the first time in many weeks, coach Mikel Arteta will have to review a match that Arsenal could not win. Sunderland's late equaliser ended their streak of 9 consecutive wins in a surprising way.
The Gunners have recently received a lot of compliments, but the recent stumble and Manchester City's impressive performance show that Pep Guardiola's team is reviving strongly and has more motivation to continue to break away.
Liverpool's decline has made the Premier League championship race more exciting than ever, even though the season has only passed 11 rounds. A heavy investment in the summer has helped Arsenal own a quality squad - something they have not had in the past two decades.
However, what the teams will realise over the weekend is that despite speculation about a decline, Man City are still getting closer to their title race. They are capable of regaining the title they lost last season, and their desire to win is clearly returning.
Arsenal, under Arteta, were the ones hunting for prey last season but still could not keep up with Liverpool. In the previous 2 seasons, they were sought after and unfortunately, City were successful in overcoming them.
November is not even halfway, but Guardiola has once again shown his fierce attack as he tries to overcome his opponents. However, Arsenal have never been equipped this well to aim to end the long-standing thirst for Premier League titles from the legendary 2004 squad.
With less than a third of the season gone, no one is panicking, but Arteta must have known that he has just dropped two important points. The international break is an opportunity for them to look back at everything, and while Man City are in high spirits, Arsenal will learn a valuable lesson.
Despite his impressive progress in charge of Arsenal, Arteta is under great pressure to bring home the title this season. He is not the first coach to have gone through several near-successful times before reaching the finish line.
The Gunners' captain could well prove that he has learned from previous years by taking decisive action and approaching the season realistically.
Over the years, Arsenal's squad depth has certainly improved thanks to wise contracts. Since affirming their status as championship candidates, they have added names such as Declan Rice, David Raya, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
This makes it difficult for the 2022-2023 season scenario to repeat, as Arteta has to rely on the starting lineup continuously. That year, William Saliba's injury caused heavy losses, but now Arsenal have enough depth to cope with the absence in almost all positions on the pitch.
They also have the resources to change the starting lineup or make adjustments in the match without weakening the force. Last season, Arteta's every substitution almost means reducing the quality of the squad.
"The team will have an international break soon. We are very disappointed, but we have to continue. We have 7 injured players in the attack. Arsenal have many limitations, but that is an inevitable part of the season.
Anyway, I still like the way the team reacts to score 2 goals. It's just that we were scored at the last minute, but it's the norm in this tournament," Arteta said after the draw with Sunderland.
