UPDATED NEWS: How Arsenal can beat Bournemouth says paul mersoN

Six games into the season and Arsenal are unbeaten, in a strong position in their Champions League group and through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, yet the buzz isn’t quite the same. Brighton, narrowly ahead of them at the table at this early stage, and north London rivals Tottenham have gained more attention so far.

It is with the added expectation and the now-known quality of Mikel Arteta’s side that impressive fatigue has already set in. The Gunners were so good and so surprising last year that already they are considered to be amongst the best of the best this term.

So far this season Arteta has been scrambling around to find his best team, hampered by injuries and ideas for a different way of playing. Now he has been forced to go back to what he knows but still with different pieces to use.

Seven weeks into the season and the free-flowing side that lead the way for much of last season are not looking as slick. Arsenal have created the ninth most xG in the league, behind Brentford, Aston Villa and Chelsea. It is the steel of their defence that has so far seen them through games.

Via a mixture of Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya they have kept four cleansheets in all competitions already. With the external pressure to match their achievements of last season, Arsenal have shown grit rather than sheer dominance to accumulate their points at this stage and it is to no detriment that they have done so.

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Being able to win when not at 100% or during an unsettled period is only a positive. Now, with two weeks to go until the October international break, there is a chance to end strong. The next three games are crucial. Starting with Bournemouth on Saturday, a trip to Lens in midweek and then the challenge of Manchester City, Arsenal will be looking to put themselves in good stead ahead of the winter pile up of games.

It is not a criticism that they have been far from the main story so far this term. The simple nature of the league is that teams are playing more attacking football than Arsenal with slicker performances, scoring more goals and being more creative. Meanwhile, Arteta’s men are slowly but surely keeping on track with their opponents and