By Mertesacker, Pedro Neto and Ousmane Diomande (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein, Mike Hewitt, Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
It is difficult to really assess the result at Chelsea from one arsenal point of view
Normally a point at Stamford Bridge wouldn’t be a bad thing and there were certainly some positives for Arsenal to take from the game.
I thought they were probably just shadowing it. They have done good things at times, created more chances than they have for a while and scored a good goal through Gabriel Martinelli.
Martin Odegaard’s return was obviously massive and the fact that he played 90 minutes in such a high-intensity game after so much time out was incredible. It was no surprise that he didn’t look his best, but he still played very well all things considered and showed what Arsenal had been missing in his absence.
He was central to all the good things Arsenal did and produced a moment of real quality to set up Martinelli’s goal after the break.
But the fact that Arsenal didn’t hang on to the lead was really disappointing, especially when you look at the goal they conceded.
Yes, it was a great goal from Pedro Neto, but he should never have been given the time and space he was allowed before taking his shot. It was a rare moment of miscommunication from Arsenal. Three or four players were all out of position and no one took control of the situation.
Afterwards you could see how angry Mikel Arteta was. He knew his side had given up two points at that point and Arsenal can’t afford to make those kinds of avoidable mistakes given the position they’re in right now.
I don’t think Arsenal are out of the title race. Maybe I’m being naive and underestimating Liverpool, but I’d be a lot more worried if Manchester City were nine points clear.
Liverpool have had a good start and are riding the crest of a wave, but I feel like things are going a bit like that at the moment and I’d be surprised if they keep up the pace they’re currently setting.
Still, they are obviously in a good position and Arsenal will need to improve massively if they are to catch them. The line-up between now and the New Year is going to be huge.
After such a difficult start, especially away from home, Arsenal are on what looks like a good run and need to take advantage and build momentum. I look at the next eight games and the goal has to be maximum points.
It’s a tough ask in the Premier League, but that’s what they have to aspire to. If they can pull that off, I think they’ll be close by the time we get to 2025 and then it’s all to play for in the second half of the season.
Of all the signings Chelsea have made over the past two years, Pedro Neto was the same which I looked at and felt Arsenal should have looked for.
They had looked at it in the past, but no move ever materialized. I think by the time they seriously considered it, the wolves were better placed to resist any advances.
But he wasn’t really on the radar last summer. I don’t know why that was. He was obviously available, but Arsenal didn’t make a move and Chelsea did.
He has always seemed like a perfect player for Arsenal. Obviously, there were injury concerns. His availability while at Wolves wasn’t great and maybe that put some clubs off.
But when he was fit, he was always of the highest quality and given his attributes, he really felt tailor-made for this Arsenal team.
As we saw on Sunday, he can play on either wing, so he could have provided much-needed competition and cover for both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
He has real pace, something Arsenal lack, is very comfortable on the ball and is a goal threat, as he showed with that excellent finish over David Raya.
It felt like a missed opportunity for Arsenal when Chelsea struck that deal in the summer and it still feels that way.
Arsenal will look to appoint a successor to Edu as sporting director.
I have already seen many names mentioned, such as Tomas Rosicky and Tim Steiden. Even Per Mertesacker has been getting a mention.
But there will be no quick decision.
It will be a thorough process as Arsenal want to make sure they get someone they feel is the perfect fit for a big role.
Jason Ayto, who has been Edu’s assistant for the past year, will take on the role on an interim basis and is seen as a very capable gap while the hiring process takes shape. He might even be considered for the full-time role, although there’s a sense that the opportunity might have come a little too soon for him.
But he is highly respected and knows the current setup better than anyone, given how he has been working with Edu over the past 12 months.
He is due to travel to the US this week with Mikel Arteta, managing director Richard Garlick and director Tim Lewis to meet the Kroenkes in Los Angeles.
It is a scheduled meeting that always takes place during the international break in November. This is when the management team always present their plans for the following summer to the owners.
Obviously, the search for a new sporting director will also be on the agenda and I know Arsenal are not limited to a certain type of candidate at the moment.
They will take their time and look around the world as they consider who they want to go to. Obviously, they will already have certain names in mind at this early stage, but they won’t rush into anything.
It always makes me smile when I see Ousmane Diomande linked with Arsenal.
He is just one of those players who year after year is linked with a possible move to the club.
I can’t believe he’s still only 20 because he’s apparently been rumored to be close to a move to Arsenal for the past decade.
Diomande is clearly an excellent talent and has been doing very well for Sporting over the last few seasons.
But he’s not one he’s ever backed in terms of Arsenal’s interest. That’s not to say the reports of interest aren’t correct, it’s just not something I’ve heard myself.
And to be honest, if Arsenal are going to splash the kind of money they would need to get him out of Portugal, I’d rather the money be spent on attacking options than defensive ones.
