Where do Arsenal go from here?

Pep Guardiola spoke out in support of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after the Gunners' 5-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, stating: “He is beyond a good manager. The character, the personality, the leadership.

“Sometimes people expect the results immediately. The squad that he played today is not the team he dreamed because they have six, seven, eight injuries to really, really important players.”

For all of Guardiola’s praise, Arteta is under pressure to get results. Going on a good run after the international break is essential, or else the Arsenal manager may find his position under threat.

The three Premier League defeats so far come with an asterisk. Arsenal have been ravaged with injuries and Covid-19 cases which have left their squad down to the bare bones to start the season.

Truly, we have not seen a full-strength Arsenal yet.

But despite the asterisk, the manner of Arsenal’s performances have left a lot to be desired, devoid of fight and spirit, summarised by the defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City.

The international break comes at a vital time for Arsenal, providing much needed respite for the under-fire manager and giving time for the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Maghalaes and Thomas Partey to recover from Covid-19 and injuries.

After the break, Arsenal host 19th place Norwich at the Emirates Stadium on September 11.

The Canaries themselves have lost all three of their opening games, failing to score, albeit having faced Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester City.

Arsenal have won the past four Premier League meetings between the two sides at the Emirates and with the return of several key players, they have a great opportunity to pick up their first win of the season.

The Gunners' season should not be defined based on August, or based on games against Manchester City, but an upturn in performances, and more importantly results, is vital for Arsenal and Arteta.