Arsenal in 2024 – an overview of the Gunners’ January fixtures
We’re past the halfway point of a jampacked December schedule that has seen Arsenal in action five times across all competitions.
The Gunners kicked off the month with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, as goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were enough to see out a win despite a late strike from Matheus Cunha.
A classic showdown at Bedfordshire followed, where Mikel Arteta’s troops left it late to snatch maximum points against a relegation-threatened yet spirited Luton Town.
Kenilworth Road witnessed a match-up to remember, even though the home fans were left disappointed as Arsenal’s £100 million summer acquisition snagged a last-gasp header to give the Gunners a 4-3 win.
Arsenal’s only defeat of the month came at the home of this season’s surprise package, Aston Villa, with John McGinn’s seventh-minute strike proving the point of difference at Villa Park.
Arteta’s troops missed their chance to respond to the setback with a continental win as PSV Eindhoven remained resilient to see out a 1-1 draw in their Champions League Group B dead rubber.
They finally returned to winning ways last weekend, comprehensively outwitting Brighton & Hove Albion on their way to a 2-0 triumph that established the Gunners at the top of the Premier League rankings.
Arsenal round off the year with a couple of tricky fixtures, starting with a trip to Liverpool’s stronghold, Anfield, where they’ll trade tackles with the Merseyside giants looking to thwart their eight-match unbeaten home run.
Back-to-back London derbies against West Ham United and Fulham should give the Gunners ample opportunity to strengthen their title credentials heading into the second half of the season.
North London will brace for another fiery derby as Crystal Palace storms into the Emirates Stadium in January.
Palace fans from across the capital can secure their seats at the heart of the action by purchasing Crystal Palace tickets from Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
An FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool in north London precedes the Palace clash before the Gunners rounds off January with a trip to City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest.
Can Arsenal cement their spot at the pinnacle of the English top flight? The early 2024 fixtures offer both promising tests and potential pitfalls – we analyse each battle as the Gunners aim to further their title bid.
Arsenal v Liverpool – FA Cup third round
December’s highly anticipated Premier League clash between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield is not just a critical top-of-the-table six-pointer – it’s also a preview for the exciting FA Cup third-round encounter in January.
Since their FA Cup success in the 2020 final against Chelsea, the north London giants have been quite awful in their subsequent performances in the tournament.
The following season after their FA Cup triumph, they were knocked out in the fourth round against Southampton and faced a hugely disappointing early elimination against Nottingham Forest in the 2021/22 season.
The frustration of these defeats was vividly captured in Arsenal’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary, particularly highlighting Arteta’s livid reaction to the manner of the defeat at City Ground.
Last season, the Gunners were halted in the fourth round by eventual winners Manchester City, highlighting a trend of struggles in the competition as they’ve failed to make it past round four in five of the last six campaigns.
With the FA Cup offering a prime opportunity for success, the 14-time FA Cup winners would be especially eager to turn the screws on their pathetic pattern of defeats and make a deep run in the tournament.
Arsenal face another uphill battle this season, with Liverpool posing a significant obstacle to their lofty ambitions in their favourite tournament.
Recent history shows that Arteta’s team have struggled against Liverpool, and not even the comfort of the Emirates may be enough to spare the Gunners, who have managed just one victory in their last four home meetings with the Reds across all competitions.
Arsenal’s only victory in that run came in a thrilling 3-2 win in October 2022. Gabriel Martinelli bagged an early goal, but the Gunners were pegged back by Darwin Nunez just after the half-hour mark.
Saka restored Arsenal’s lead on the stroke of half time, and while Liverpool responded through Roberto Firmino, Saka’s late penalty secured a crucial victory for the Gunners.
Following a disappointing fourth-round exit in the Carabao Cup against West Ham United, the FA Cup represents Arsenal’s best chance at silverware this season, and they can ill-afford a similar fate when they square off with Liverpool.
To advance to the fourth round, the Gunners need to replicate their recent home performances against Klopp’s formidable Liverpool side, even though the fixture schedule might lead both teams to deploy second-string line-ups.
However, historical precedent suggests that the magic of the cup could work in favour of the Gunners, especially considering their 2-1 victory in the most recent FA Cup meeting with Liverpool at the Emirates in 2014.
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
The Emirates forms the backdrop for a London derby showdown as Arsenal host Palace in their first home fixture of 2024.
The Gunners are usually the more dominant side in this fixture, losing just one of their last nine meetings against the Eagles (W4, D4) – a comprehensive 3-0 defeat in April 2022.
The Emirates hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Palace as their most recent victory in north London came in a 3-2 win back in 2019, but Arsenal have also struggled to dispatch their capital rivals on home turf.
The Gunners have won just one of their last five home fixtures against Palace (D3, L1), snapping three consecutive draws with an emphatic 4-1 victory in the back end of last season.
Arsenal came out on top in their most recent game against Palace back in August, with Martin Odegaard’s 54th-minute penalty steering the ten-man Gunners to a slender 1-0 victory.
Arteta would be hoping for a more comfortable victory when the capital rivals renew hostilities at the Emirates next month.
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Arsenal’s first 2024 fixture on the road features a trip to City Ground, where they’ll be eager to do the double over Nottingham Forest after their previous 2-1 victory.
First-half goals from Eddie Nketiah and Saka established a 2-0 lead for the Gunners, but Taiwo Awoniyi’s 82nd-minute strike set up a nervy finale at the Emirates.
However, Arteta’s side saw off the threat from the Tricky Trees, but a trip to City Ground may not be as conducive, particularly after suffering a 1-0 defeat on their previous visit.
Arsenal had no response to Awoniyi’s 19th-minute strike, and another slip-up at Forest could have dire consequences for the title-chasing Gunners next year.
