It’s funny how the rapid nature of football (‘A week is a long time..’ and all that) can work for you and against you, isn’t it?

I went to bed last night and as I started to drift off, I was thinking about what a big and positive result the game on Sunday was, because it was the book end to the really tough start we had. But it was also a statement win under dramatic circumstances and that heightens the senses somewhat when it comes to collecting three points. Had we scored the penalty we got, then maybe got a second early in the second half, followed by Newcastle getting a consolation late on but we ultimately win the game 2-1, I probably won’t have been thinking too much about it other than it was a very valuable win. But the nature of the win and the late goal has given me personally such a boost, that I’m proper buzzing now about thew upcoming weeks. But I also don’t want that buzz to die down so quickly – I want to be able to hold on for it for a little longer – but I know I can’t because there’s more football on the immediate horizon.

Of course the reality is that football ebbs and flows and we are not going to see the same drama each week. We will probably see the same Newcastle set up i.e. low block football and a ‘try to break us down then’ mentality from all of our opponents, but we’re used to that now, but I think another element of the win was that we DID manage to overcome a low block. Plus, if I am buzzing, imagine what the players feel like after that win? They will have that belief that we are always in the game, even if we are behind or drawing late on, they will feel the confidence they can break down teams who just want to sit in and for Mikel Arteta I think he will believe that he certainly can do a little more kitchen sink throwing like he did with our selection of players who ended the game and the attacking threat we had.

And we still have players to come back to help aid our cause.

I’m not sure I buy the swing in betting odds though. I mean, I get it, because we’ve just come out of our ‘tough’ period and now have a series of games that everyone is describing as ‘winnable’. I think that’s a little bit of a disservice for the teams we’re about to play because West Ham have beaten us for the last two year’s in a row at home, plus Palace and Sunderland are flying, so this will by no means be an ‘easy’ set of games. But These are games that you’d think if you really want to challenge for the title you need to be picking up close to maximum points. But the swings in the betting seem a little extreme to me. I mean sure, Liverpool have ridden their luck at times so far this season, but they’ve also just kicked off the season winning five in a row and I’m pretty sure despite the tough run of games they have they’ll be picking up a big chunk of points in their next block of six. But what the bookies odds show you is that this season is going to be tight and hopefully not a procession for anyone (unless it’s us). It didn’t feel great season Liverpool get their noses in front early on with an easy run of early games that basically carried their momentum all the way through to the title and after match day five when they’d once again picked up maximum points, I was worried we were seeing a repeat of history. But the Palace game showed they are fallible and my hope is that the coming weeks show that too.

Aside: I said that I hope there isn’t a procession to the title. Of course if it’s us with the procession I’m absolutely fine with that!

But going back to the top of the blog and how a week is a short time in football, here we are today and we’re already going to get another Mikel Arteta press conference, as he prepares for the arrival of Olympiacos from Athens tomorrow evening. It’s a familiar foe, it’s an old foe and one that during those Champions League Group stages it felt like we played them every other year. This new format (which I still don’t like by the way – there’s something about going away from home and not winning and not being able to get revenge in the return leg that doesn’t sit right with me) means it’ll only be a home one for us and we won’t have to travel to Greece, which is helpful, but I’m sure Arteta will be full of precaution in his words so as to not give any ammunition to our opponents. But it will be interesting to see what he says about how the team are shaking up and how he is going to set his side out. In Bilbao he made a few rotational changes and I wonder if he feels the same for this one. Or, does this game inform us on who might start against West Ham at the weekend?

I’ll be interested to get his thoughts on tomorrow and see if there is any hint of rotation. I think we’ve already seen that he’s willing to mix and match and I suspect we might get a bit of that tomorrow night. But that is the beauty of the depth we have in our squad. He can play an Eze instead of an Odegaard/Martinelli/Trossard. Heck, maybe he even thinks that Nwaneri could start (I’d be surprised though)? I wouldn’t be avese to seeing MLS on the left from the start and with Trossard having started against Newcastle, what’s wrong with giving Martinelli the run out? Saka will probably get minutes, but maybe he could be earmarked for just the 60 given that we probably want him to do a full 90 against West Ham on Saturday and with Ben White back in the frame, maybe Jurrien Timber gets a rest?

We have so many options and so much strength that none of those players feel like a step down and I think we’re already starting to see an openness from Arteta to rotate more than he ever has before. That’s why I’m keen to hear any titbits of information from him and that’s why I’m looking forward to the press conference later on this evening.

Right, I’ll leave it there. Here’s another shout out for the pod Amanda and I did on Sunday evening straight after the game if you’re up for it. Otherwise I’m back tomorrow for a match preview. See you then.