Henrikh Mkhitaryan can’t understand why the media are so critical of him and the team at the moment, as he thinks they’re still in an adaptation period right now.

Arsenal have had a very tough start to life under Unai Emery. First they had to face the runaway champions of England from last season, who already seem to be fully firing in the current campaign. Then it was a trip to Stamford Bridge, and a defeat which really could’ve gone either way.

The critics don’t care much about that though, all that matters is that Arsenal aren’t winning, and they can keep making headlines out of that fact. Mkhitaryan says he doesn’t need the extra criticism, because he’s hard enough on himself as it is.

“I’m the worst critic in my football game and I don’t need extra criticism,” he told BBC Football Focus. “I know very well what I am giving to the team and what the team gives me.

“We have a new manager and are trying to adapt to his philosophy and also his demands. We lost the first game and the second one as well. But that’s football. We just have to stay positive and continue working hard and the good results will come.

“We don’t feel any pressure. We are not thinking that something is going wrong because we are moving in the right way even if we lost two games. I don’t know why people are criticising so much. I’m not paying attention because I know if I’ve played bad or well.”

You’d hope the rest of the team believe the same thing as Mkhitaryan, that the results will come if they stick to their guns. Gary Neville spoke from experience about the dangers of chopping and changing from game-to-game earlier this week.

To win titles you need a manager with a consistent view about how he wants his team to play, and a group of players willing to follow his instructions every week. Pep Guardiola didn’t get Manchester City to where they are now by changing things up constantly. He makes tactical tweaks of course, but the general philosophy has always been the same.

Hopefully Arsenal can show against West Ham that they are making progress, and then carry that momentum forwards.