Mikel Arteta knows the feeling. He has been there at Arsenal when the shoe is on the other foot. He has faced up to the press looking more bedraggled than usual after a game – although not with cuts on his face from the self-torture of watching on, it must be said.
That is what Manchester City have done to clubs, managers, and players over the past five or so years and the numerous close title challenges. They elicit such astronomically high standards that defeats in August are pondered over. Arsenal dropped points to Brighton (a strong and impressive Premier League team) and had their credentials questioned, despite it being the first time they had failed to win.
Arsenal had been four league games without victory before they welcomed Nottingham Forest – third in the league earlier this month to the Emirates Stadium. Coming back from the international break and starting without Kai Havertz or Declan Rice, the demons of that run disappeared with a flash on Saturday.
