Can Arsenal avoid another nightmare November under Wenger?
The Gunners' least favourite month has arrived, but this could be the year they avoid its curse
Arsenal fans may have cause to feel unusually nervous about tonight's Champions League excursion to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets Razgrad.
However, it is not the opposition that will have Gunners worried but the date. November has become the month Arsenal fear the most.
"As Arsene Wenger turned over his calendar this morning and saw the 11th month of the Gregorian calendar staring him in the face, a shiver may have gone down his spine," writes Joe Mewis of the Daily Mirror, highlighting the post-Halloween horror that consumes Arsenal fans.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Under Wenger, the Gunners have traditionally struggled in the month of November, he writes, playing 78 Premier League fixtures, winning fewer than half of them and losing a third. The return of 1.59 points per game makes November easily their worst month of the season.
"As the clocks go backwards at the end of October each year, so invariably do Arsenal," says Charlie Eccleshare of the Daily Telegraph.
While the team usually fare well at the start of the season, the wheels tend to come loose towards the end of the year.
Games come thick and fast in the 11th month, with Premier League, Champions League and League Cup commitments to contend with. What's more, Arsenal always seem to come up against major league rivals in November and must also prioritise European games.
But it is their woeful injury record that creates the biggest problems, says Eccleshare.
Niggles "become harder to absorb a few months into the season when overworked players begin to feel the effects of a busy start to the campaign", he adds. "A vicious cycle then develops whereby Arsenal are playing more matches but with fewer available players, which means less rotation and greater risk of injuries."
Other clubs have similar problems but Arsenal seem to suffer most and this year looks like no exception.
"Difficult league matches against Tottenham and Manchester United, coupled with the potential Champions League group decider against Paris Saint-Germain, provide reason to believe Arsenal could be in for another difficult November," says Eccleshare.
There are also warning signs on the injury front. Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin will all be absent against Ludogrets, reports the BBC. However, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka and Olivier Giroud are all expected to be available.
"Arsenal appear genuinely well-placed to buck the trend this year," says Mewis in the Mirror. They appear less fragile than in previous seasons and Wenger's cautious squad building appears to be paying off.
"As well as having a plethora of options upfront, Wenger is also spoilt for choice in the middle of the park," adds the journalist. "If ever there was a year for Arsenal to get over their November blues, this is it."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is Elon Musk about to disrupt British politics?
Today's big question Mar-a-Lago talks between billionaire and Nigel Farage prompt calls for change on how political parties are funded
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The complaint that could change reality TV for ever
In the Spotlight A labour complaint filed against Love Is Blind has the potential to bolster the rights of reality stars across the US
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Assad's fall upends the Captagon drug empire
Multi-billion-dollar drug network sustained former Syrian regime
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The 'Swiss model' shaking up the Champions League
In the Spotlight Uefa says the new format offers 'greater excitement' but critics say boredom is guaranteed
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?
feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
By The Week Staff Published
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?
feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
By Mike Starling Published
-
Uefa Champions League 2022-2023 guide: group stage draw and key dates
feature Liverpool face Rangers while Man City’s Erling Haaland has a reunion with Dortmund
By Mike Starling Published