This is the happy time in every Arsenal season. Everyone is healthy, their world-class players are playing up to their reputations, their really good players are playing out of their minds, and their title dreams still seem eminently, thrillingly tangible. In today’s Champions League match against Ludogorets, Arsenal are demonstrating what it looks like to play soccer while knowing you’re the shit.
The first of the Gunners’ two filthy first half goals came from Alexis Sánchez. Sánchez could’ve and maybe should’ve crossed the ball to one of his wide-open teammates right after picking up the ball behind the defense, but instead of doing the safe thing, he decided to do the incredibly rude and cocky thing by hoodwinking his markers and dinking an insulting chip shot over the keeper and into the net:
Theo Walcott joined in on the fun, continuing his streak of actually playing like the great player he’s always thought himself to be. Rather than progressing the ball forward to get into better position after gathering in a Mesut Özil cross high and in the center of the pitch, Walcott just smashed the ball in from right where he stood:
Ten minutes into the second half, Arsenal added another two goals. Update: And they ended up winning 6-0, with an Özil hat trick. This really is starting to look like it might be the year. What could possibly go wrong now?