Arsenal has become a big team

Arsenal are too scary now.

The 3-1 win over Bayern Munich didn’t just keep Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Champions League. It showed Arteta is building a team that knows how to manage risk, how to overcome, and most importantly: how to play like a real big team. Bayern arrived in London unbeaten, having lost just three group games in eight years. But they left the Emirates feeling suffocated in the second half. That wasn’t luck. That was the message.

Great courage from big matches

Today's Arsenal is different from the Arsenal of years past. They no longer depend on emotions from match to match. They no longer play explosively and then run out of steam. Their foundation has been raised to a high level of stability.

Matt Upson is right: Arsenal are now always at a “7/10”, and when given the chance, they explode at a 9/10. The scariest thing about a big team is not their best game, but their… most ordinary game. And Arsenal are now setting a very high bar.

Arteta called Bayern “the best team in Europe”. It wasn’t just a courtesy. Bayern were true to form: well organised, pressing in unison, and with the individual quality to kill a game at any moment. But Arsenal didn’t just face. They overcame.

In the second half, Arsenal played man-on-man all over the pitch. It was a nerve-wracking test against a team with great technique and a habit of handling pressure. But Arsenal won on intensity, on second balls, and on determination. When Declan Rice said this was “the most difficult game tactically this season,” it was not empty praise. It was a measure of how Arsenal have grown.

Arsenal just crushed Bayern Munich in League Phase, Champions League.

Last year, Arsenal often held back against top-class opponents. This year, they pounced and imposed. The key point: Arsenal went into the game without three strikers. Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus were all out. But Arteta was not afraid. He could bring Madueke and Martinelli off the bench, and both made a difference.

Madueke scored his first goal for the club in a tight game. Martinelli continued his scoring streak in the Champions League. And then Odegaard returned, providing an immediate mental and technical boost.

This represents a significant step forward: Arsenal are not only strong when they have the best squad. They are strong even when they are short. This is what Manchester City have been doing for years. A team only becomes a true title contender when the squad depth is sufficient to maintain the standard every week, every competition.

Which face of Arsenal?

Are Arsenal the best team in Europe? No. But are they the most formidable? Maybe.

Arsenal cannot match Manchester City’s experience in the knockout stages. They have not won a domestic title since 2004 and have never won the European Cup. But what they are creating is a “formidable” quality, which is what opponents sense first.

Arsenal played like they were used to the big stage. They didn’t panic when pressure was applied. They didn’t lose structure when the game became chaotic. They knew when to speed up and when to slow down. These were signs of maturity that they lacked a few years ago.

Arsenal won all of their League Phase and Champions League matches this season.

The scariest teams are not the strongest, but the ones that make you feel like even if they're not perfect, they're dangerous enough to beat you. Arsenal have that feeling right now.

A team with Arsenal's depth is always at risk of losing stability in the dressing room. Everyone wants to start. Everyone wants to be used. But what makes Arsenal dangerous as a team is the acceptance of each individual.

From Madueke and Martinelli to Havertz and Jesus, anyone who is not starting will come in with a fighting spirit, not complaining. This can only happen when the coach creates trust in fairness, in the role, and in the right to express himself.

Upson is right: “Arsenal have players who come on and make an impact immediately.” That’s what Man City used to be praised for. Arsenal have it now. So where do Arsenal stand?

They are the only team to have won all of the Champions League. They have just beaten an unbeaten side all season. They have a solid defence, a strong midfield, and a versatile attack. They have depth. They have discipline. They have spirit. But most importantly: they have belief.

Arsenal are not yet the best team in Europe. There are still knockout games ahead. But which team is rising the strongest, which team is making the remaining "big guys" wary, which team has the demeanor of a real candidate?

The answer is clear. This is the new Arsenal, braver, sharper, and more fearsome than any version in nearly two decades.

Source: https://znews.vn/arsenal-da-thanh-doi-lon-post1606375.html