Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over eighth-place Wolverhampton on Feb. 10 was both crucial and worrisome for the Gunners in their first game back since the January transfer window closed.
The Gunners showed that three points in the Premier League can never be taken for granted, spending the last 21 minutes of play protecting a narrow one goal lead following Martinelli’s send off. While the football world debates the decision by Michael Oliver to issue two yellow cards, it’s important to note this is Arsenal’s fourth red card of 2022.
The result was not all bad for the club, as Gabriel netted the Gunners’ first goal in 40 days. Quality chances were present for Arsenal, as Alexandre Lacazette had the perfect opportunity to put the Gunners up two goals in the 72nd minute. The shocking miss should not sound the alarm for Arsenal, but they will need to take advantage of these chances, especially from veterans like Lacazette.
Arsenal will need to take advantage of a light schedule following exits in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Coupled with the lack of European football, the prospect of an undefeated February seems more than doable for the Gunners.
Fivethirtyeight currently gives Arsenal a 46% chance to make Champions League football next season. The Gunners, who currently sit in sixth place, will need to take advantage of their two games in hand over West Ham and Manchester United. While unlikely, the Gunners control their own destiny to catch Chelsea. With two games in hand plus a London Derby, Arsenal will need to capture six points before heading into the match.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, Arsenal will face an out-of-form Brentford squad on Feb. 19 before welcoming Wolves to the Emirates. The Gunners will need to finish off the month with a strong six points, while avoiding the red card bug.
Scheduled fixtures favor the Gunners, but all eyes will be on rescheduled matches. Arsenal still have unscheduled dates with Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool. The Gunners will surely need to improve from where they are now if they hope to pick up points in these matches.