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The next couple of weeks could make or break Arsenal's season, with fixtures coming thick and fast
Arsenal have enjoyed a brilliant first half of the season, but the next couple of weeks could crush Mikel Arteta's hopes of finally getting his hands on a piece of silverware. Since replacing Unai Emery in the dugout, the Gunners boss has only won one major trophy.
Shortly after taking the reins at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, Arteta helped Arsenal win the FA Cup. With his predecessor's squad, he led the north Londoners to a behind-closed-doors victory against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Arteta went on to win a couple of Community Shields and a few Premier League runner-up medals, but he's not lifted a major trophy since. The Spaniard will be determined to finally break his duck this year and celebrate a piece of silverware in front of the club's supporters.
Fortunately, he's well-positioned to do so. The north Londoners have established a comfortable lead at the top of the Premier League, and they've already qualified from the UEFA Champions League 'league phase'.
Arsenal also remain in each of the domestic cup competitions, unlike many of their rivals. While the Gunners look set to compete on all fronts, the next couple of weeks could turn the season on its head.
This month, according to Bill Edgar at The Times, Arteta's side will become the first top-flight team in history to play four away games in four different competitions in just 10 days.
Arsenal will begin by locking horns with Portsmouth at Fratton Park in the FA Cup on Sunday before facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
On the following Saturday, November 17, the Gunners are back in Premier League action in the East Midlands, taking on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Arsenal will then have no more than two days to recharge their batteries before jetting off to Italy to play Inter at the San Siro in the UEFA Champions League.
Although the north Londoners have a pair of favourable fixtures in the FA Cup and the Premier League, a disappointing result in either could prove costly – whether that's getting knocked out of a tournament or losing ground in the title race.
Not to mention the fact that Arteta will need to heavily rotate his starting lineup in an effort to keep key players fit and focused. If the Spaniard can successfully lead his side through the 10-day period unharmed then they will stand a great chance of hoovering up silverware in May.
When faced by reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Wednesday, Arteta was asked whether this is the best Arsenal team he’s had. He replied: "I don’t know, I don’t really like comparing.
"I think every week the team is different because of the players available, so the position is different. So to maintain a lot of the great things the team and individuals are doing, consistency is going to be the key to that.
"We know the difficulty of every game, and we are approaching that with a lot of excitement, understanding where we are and with the huge desire that we have to achieve what we want to do in May."
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