Arsenal, right now, are recharging the batteries. It’s been a horrendous start to the season for Mikel Arteta’s side, who have lost all three of their Premier League matches so far. And with the Gunners board admiring Antonio Conte, he’s certainly got plenty of work to do.
Arsenal ended last term on a low note, finishing eighth in the Premier League under Arteta for the second season in a row.
And despite spending big on the likes of Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu, they’ve endured a nightmare start to the current campaign.
First, they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford in their Premier League opener.
Then, Chelsea cruised to victory at the Emirates Stadium – winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Romelu Lukaku and Reece James.
Last time out, against Manchester City, they went into the game on the back of a 6-0 thumping of West Brom in the Carabao Cup.
THINK YOU KNOW SPORT? Test your sporting knowledge with our tricky quiz
Arsenal under Arteta are, simply put, a shambles. There appears to be no plan and, perhaps worse, no confidence either.
For now, he’s the man in charge of the team at the Emirates Stadium.
But the longer Conte stays available, and results worsen, then the clamour to make a change will grow.
Arsenal are up against Norwich City next, with the Canaries yet to pick up a single league point following their promotion.
And failure to beat Daniel Farke’s side could be the final nail in Arteta’s coffin.
Conte is a serial winner who has been successful at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan over the years.
And it’s certainly understandable why Arsenal admire the Italian, who previously held talks about taking over at Tottenham earlier in the summer.
Edu, meanwhile, has opened up about the club – defending their transfer business while insisting their start to the new season isn’t good enough.
“We suffered last year because we lost a lot of players and we didn’t really have good back-ups to play games,” he said.
“I believe we need a squad to win games.
“We need a squad to be in a good position at the end of the season because it is not only about the first XI. We need a foundation.
“Of course, it has hurt us to be in that situation. We are hurt, I am hurt. I don’t want to see the club there, but I want to see the team playing together. Let’s judge the team when they play together.
“Why are a few clubs around the Premier League just signing one or two players? It’s because they already have the foundation. They already have the team prepared. I’m sorry, but the reality is we don’t.”
And he then added: “I understand the pressure on me, Mikel, the board and the club because the situation we are in now is not acceptable.”