Arsenal continue to underline their progress

The past week has continued to underline the substantial progress Arsenal are making under new boss Unai Emery.

After the end of the Arsene Wenger era last season, many commentators felt it would take Arsenal a significant period of transition before they were ready to compete for top honours again.

In particular they were questions surrounding the capacity of the players left from the Frenchman’s twenty year reign, to show the combativeness, defensive strength and consistency required of a truly successful side.

But despite defeat in their opening two Premier League fixtures with questions over whether the players could adjust to Emery’s systems and tactics, the Gunners have since been growing in confidence and become increasingly competitive and successful.

This past week Arsenal have decisively and comprehensively beaten their neighbours Tottenham in the north London derby, secured a point at Manchester United and then defeated Huddersfield Town this weekend.

All three of these games represented a different challenge but Arsenal have met all of them very well.

First of all came the north London derby at the Emirates. This game certainly looked a really tough test of Arsenal’s credentials.

Previously the Gunners had struggled for many seasons to compete with any of the other ‘top six’ clubs in head-to-head encounters.

Although they have a good past record against Spurs, this was not a team like some of the Tottenham sides of previous years.

Spurs have become an established Champions League contender and have finished above Arsenal the previous two seasons.

Too often Arsenal teams have seemed to lack the fight and defensive resilience to compete with the other top teams and title contenders.

But Emery’s team were outstanding, playing with verve, quality and energy and despite a strong rally by Tottenham went on to complete a well deserved 4-2 win over their neighbours.

Next they travelled to Old Trafford to face United in a fixture that has several times produced some of their most humiliating losses in the Premier League.

It’s true that United are not at the moment on the level of some of the teams that defeated Wenger’s sides in those games. Still going away to United is never a gimme, even with their current difficulties.

And despite being pegged back twice, Arsenal had showed real determination against a United side desperate for a win and secured a useful point in a match that you feel they might have ended up losing in the past.

And on Saturday the Gunners hosted David Wagner’s Huddersfield side at the Emirates. Again this was a different type of challenge and once more Arsenal showed they were able to meet it.

Huddersfield were determined to defend and do everything to secure a point but Arsenal kept playing and eventually, late in the game, found a way to break them down and get the win.

All of these matches show that Emery’s team have a new-found mental strength and resilience. And Arsenal are giving every indication that they have a resolve and capacity to battle to secure points that perhaps past Gunners sides would have failed to do.

The next step is to see whether they can sustain this improved competitiveness over the course of a full Premier League season.