After their decisive 3-0 victory against Dinamo Zagreb, which put them on the verge of automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16, Arsenal is almost ready to officially launch a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
With goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard in a resounding victory at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal could even afford to lose their last group match in Girona the following week and still guarantee a spot in the next round.
On February 5, Arsenal and Newcastle will play the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at St. James’ Park.
They will take a 10-day gap between games before playing Leicester in the Premier League after their FA Cup defeat and probable guarantee of not playing in a two-leg knockout match to advance to the round of 16 in Europe.
A year ago, Arsenal made the decision to go to Dubai for a week-long training camp, which changed the course of their season as they lost just four points in their last 18 league games.
During the visit, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta also had to put up with a tense interaction with chef and social media celebrity “Salt Bae.”
The internet celebrity gave the Spaniard a tableside experience by chopping a triple-digit steak in his signature style and then putting a morsel of prime meat in Arteta’s mouth.
Given the team’s hectic schedule following last summer’s European Championship, the success of last season’s winter break has reinforced the notion that another camp is crucial next month.
However, considering Liverpool’s stellar league run, it is believed the team is also aware that a vacation in the Middle East won’t necessarily be the magic bullet they need to end their two-decade title drought.
With one more game played, Arsenal is now six points behind Arne Slot’s team.
Arteta responded, “If we earn the right to do that, it will be great,” when asked what effect a winter camp might have on his injury-plagued team.
“The schedule has been extremely hectic, with a lot of demands, particularly on the players, and a lot of activities going on.”
With a better goal differential of seven going into the last round of Champions League games, Arsenal leads Aston Villa, who are now in ninth place, by three points and is in third place overall.
The top eight are automatically eligible. Girona, their last opponents, has dropped six of their seven games thus far.
‘With the new system, you don’t know how many points you need,’ said captain Odegaard, who finished the triumph over Dinamo with his second goal of the season in stoppage time.
Simply taking things one game at a time and making sure we’re there has been crucial. We’re happy and it looks beautiful since that’s what we want, but we still need to finish the job.
Arsenal’s next home game is against Wolves on Saturday. They will then travel to Girona before facing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a major league match at the Emirates on February 2.