Can Arsenal keep up with Spurs despite European commitments?
It’s been two decades since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ last won the Premier League title for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta came close to ending the Gunners’ long-standing title drought last term. But he had to settle for a gut-wrenching second-place finish, five points adrift of perennial champions Manchester City.
It was, nonetheless, a step in the right direction. Arsenal started the 2022/23 season as outside top-four candidates but defied the odds to earn a runner-up finish.
Following a well-ran transfer window, Arteta’s men have enjoyed another superb start to the season, heading into Matchday 10 as one of only two unbeaten sides in the Premier League, alongside Tottenham Hotspur. While Man City are still the bookmakers’ favourites for the title, both Arsenal and Tottenham are behind Liverpool and City in 32Red sport betting odds, showing that punters are waiting for both teams to display more consistently before favouring their chances.
Unlike Spurs, whose boss Ange Postecoglou has become the first-ever Premier League manager to win 23 points in their first nine games, Arsenal have slipped up three times (D3).
Two goals in seven minutes helped the north London outfit eke out a 2-2 draw at Chelsea last weekend and stay within a two-point distance of table-topping Tottenham.
However, after a dreadful 2022/23 campaign and an early League Cup exit in 2023/24, Postecoglou’s lads have the luxury of competing on only two fronts.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s return to the Champions League after a six-year hiatus and battles in two domestic cup competitions threaten to overload their schedule.
Fatigue and injuries are inevitable side effects, even though the Gunners went to great lengths to increase the quality within the squad and ensure the necessary depth during the summer transfer window.
Pros
Despite being the third-youngster squad in the Premier League, with an average age of 24.9, Arsenal have shown unparalleled mental fortitude to navigate several closely-fought contests in the early season.
Apart from Saturday’s draw at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners have won matches they would’ve probably either drawn or even lost in previous years, such as narrow victories at Crystal Palace and Everton.
There was no shortage of belief, confidence or skill in their long-awaited 1-0 home victory over Man City, which saw Arteta exorcise the ghosts of failing to beat his mentor Pep Guardiola in their eight previous EPL H2Hs.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike that toppled the three-time consecutive champions unequivocally proved Arsenal’s title credentials.
In the build-up to the Gunners’ Champions League trip to Sevilla, Jorginho urged his teammates to maintain ’emotional control,’ as quoted by Eurosport.
Navigating emotional rollercoasters, which are inalienable parts of every season, is crucial, so Arsenal youngsters would be wise to listen to their senior colleague.
Cons
Much of Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes will hinge on their European run as probably the most significant factor.
If they can go the distance in the Champions League, battles on multiple fronts will start taking their toll sooner or later.
The Gunners may even want to contemplate sacrificing cup competitions to bolster their league chances, but giving up is not in their nature.
While most of Arteta’s squad has stayed injury-free at the beginning of the new campaign, the overall fitness state has been far from ideal.
Jurrien Timber’s long-term knee injury and short-term problems to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could be considered warning shots for what’s coming.
Conclusion
If you take a short walk down memory lane, you’d realise Arsenal’s dip in form down the final stretch made the difference in last season’s title race.
However, Arteta’s men have seemingly matured, plus high-profile additions of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz ought to bring more composure to this well-knit squad.
Beating Man City and Tottenham to the podium won’t be a walk in the park, but the Gunners undoubtedly have what it takes to fetch the title to the Emirates Stadium.
