Arsenal have a champion week, Liverpool and Kepa defy critics and Forest and Guardiola fall

Pep Guardiola’s Anfield complex completed a phenomenal week for Arsenal, while Kepa Arrizabalaga and Liverpool both defied their critics.

Arsenal
The concept of title-winning nous in a relatively callow team is a little like job advertisements for teenagers that request five years of prior work experience in the chosen field: it can often be a nonsensical, intangible and contradictory stick with which to beat and undermine someone or something.

One can only ascertain the knowledge and understanding of how to win a title by doing precisely that, at least in a literal sense. Those fluent in footballspeak know grinding out victories when not playing well is a necessary trait of the champion but only through practice can that muscle memory be established.

In the space of seven days, Arsenal have beaten Liverpool by taking the lead on three separate occasions, before travelling almost 2,000 miles and back to win a midweek European game 1-0 on a plastic pitch, then returning to win a difficult away league game despite playing poorly. Mikel Arteta made numerous changes in the interim but his young team still prevailed.

Results like these – weeks like these – strengthen the will and belief both individually and collectively. It cultivates a winning mentality and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s part of the reason why Arsenal dare to celebrate wins in the way they do.

Even before results elsewhere could be considered, it was an excellent result at Elland Road. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes both seemed nervous and Gabriels Martinelli and Jesus were subdued but Aaron Ramsdale and Granit Xhaka showed impeccable leadership while Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka made the telling contribution in the decisive moment. This was the precise kind of game Arsenal would have lost in seasons gone by. It is now the exact sort of experience they can recall in similar struggles.

Manchester City’s stumble at Anfield was a further boon but it was really just the icing on the cake for an Arsenal side developing quite the sweet tooth. Unless you are a Liverpool fan/journalist of course.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool inheritance
Four players remain from the Liverpool squad Jurgen Klopp took over from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015. Roberto Firmino has been his player of the season and both Joe Gomez and James Milner were sensational against Manchester City.

Jordan Henderson has a lot to live up to. In Klopp’s time of great need, and amid accusations of…