Arsenal may well have suffered from three poor recent results that have thrown the title into Manchester City’s hands, but Mikel Arteta should remain immensely proud of what his team has accomplished thus far this campaign.
It seems that perhaps a loss of mentality, due to this being new ground for many within the team, and a lack of adequate squad depth to compete with the unlimited funds that Pep Guardiola boasts, have seen things turn dramatically in the space of just two weeks.
Now, with games in hand for the Cityzens, it has become theirs to lose.
In an effort to ensure that in the coming seasons, should they maintain their place around the apex of the table, further reinforcements will be needed if they are to take that final step and actually claim the ultimate silverware.
Perhaps by mimicking some of the talent that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has at his disposal it could bridge the quality gap that is so apparent.
In Gabri Veiga, who the Gunners have been linked with for some time now, there are shades of the mercurial Bernardo Silva that would make this a fine potential deal.
Would Gabri Veiga be a good signing?
As a classy yet combative midfield option to provide a foil for any of Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard or even Thomas Partey at a stretch, the young Spaniard has a bright future ahead.
Boasting a reported €40m (£35m) release clause too, the 20-year-old is far from unattainable if Edu is truly serious about bolstering Arteta’s squad.
Having enjoyed a breakout season for Celta Vigo, scoring nine and assisting four from central midfield, he pairs this technical proficiency with a tireless work rate that also sees him record 1.4 tackles per game.
With City’s Portuguese maestro also merging goal contributions with a relentless attitude, what truly ties these two creators together is their unparalleled ability on the ball. When driving forward Silva is often unstoppable, finding a way to nutmeg opponents who gave him no opening.
The data supports this, as he ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons when compared to other midfielders across Europe.
A mesmeric run that saw him glide past three Bayern Munich players last week best exemplifies this. However, for comparison, Veiga also ranks in the top 10% and the top 3% for these metrics respectively.
Branded a “dangerous” asset by journalist Euan McTear, capable of excelling on the top stage, perhaps Arsenal could seek to invest in the young midfielder now before he inevitably grows into an unattainable world-class asset. His acquisition could prove the catalyst towards bridging that gap with the reigning champions.