You can smell it at the Emirates right now the old George Graham steel welded onto Arteta’s silky blueprint. Three goals conceded in eight league games, clean as a whistle in Europe, and winning ugly when it counts.
That’s not luck; that’s control of the chaos: distances tight, rest defense set, box defended like a vault. “Small margins”? That’s title DNA.
And now comes Atlético: Simeone’s masters of the dark arts press triggers like tripwires, second-balls hoovered, transitions snapped shut. This is a chess match with bruises.
Arteta welcomes the Graham comparison because he knows: champions suffer smart. Bank the 1-0, sing the song, move on.
Arsenal just did it at Fulham; Atleti did it at Osasuna. Two teams comfortable living on the knife-edge. The difference? Arsenal have layered modern control rotations, overloads, five-lane occupation on top of a ruthless defensive platform.
If the Gunners match Atleti’s will and keep the box locked, one flash set piece, half-space cut-back, late runner decides it.
One-nil to the new Arsenal? Don’t be shocked. Be ready to sing it.
