The Importance of August to Arsenal
A slow start for Arsenal would be very tough to overcome this season.
10.2
These are the expected points for Arsenal in August. This is the largest expected points total for any month this season.
It isn't the highest on a per match basis, that honor falls to March (2.2) and May (2.1) but this five-month stretch is one of the easiest for Arsenal and one that would be incredibly tough to come back from if Arsenal again fails to get off to a hot start.
It was frustrating last season to see Arsenal go into the season feeling like such an incomplete team. The transfer business felt like it was only half complete when the season kicked off and it did prove to be the case with the key signings of Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu coming in as August ended.
Thankfully this season Arsenal have been much more proactive at not letting that issue bite them again having closed the deals for Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Marqunious and hopefully very soon Oleksandr Zinchenko. It doesn't feel like the team is all the way complete but it doesn't have the same feeling that it is a massive work in progress as the start of the season looms less than three weeks from now.
This run of matches sees Arsenal as more than 50% favorites in every match with the potential for a big points haul.
This run of matches is also one where Arsenal were able to pick up 10 points against the corresponding fixtures last season. Matching or even beating the record of 3-1-1 would likely see Arsenal in or around third place as the calendar rolls over into September.
We joked last year that the season didn't start until after the transfer window closed but Arsenal cannot afford to have that attitude again this season.