Arsenal next five fixtures compared with top four rivals after Palace win
|Arsenal reaffirmed their commitment to the Premier League title race last weekend when they decimated their capital neighbours Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Having lost back-to-back London derby contests against West Ham United and Fulham, Arsenal needed to muster a response to curtail their downward spiral and Mikel Arteta’s troops duly delivered.
The five-star performance kicked off with Gabriel Magalhaes heading home from a Declan Rice corner before the Brazilian forced an own goal from another set piece.
Leandro Trossard effectively killed the game on the stroke of an hour, capping off a devastating Arsenal counterattack to bag his fourth Premier League goal in seven starts this season.
Trossard eventually gave way for the introduction of Gabriel Martinelli, who bagged a one-minute brace deep into stoppage time to round off the rout for the Gunners.
Arsenal fans were treated to an incredibly entertaining match, leaving those without seats in the stands surely feeling they missed out.
The upcoming clash against Nottingham Forest at City Ground on Tuesday is anticipated to attract a significant crowd, and there’s every chance tickets for that game could be sold out earlier than expected.
However, in case tickets are unavailable when planning your visit to West Bridgford, you can still get the opportunity to cheer the Gunners from the City Ground stands, with Seatsnet offering a chance to buy sold-out tickets at competitive prices.
Arteta was left delighted with his team’s performance against Palace, particularly after failing to win any of their previous four games in all competitions (D1, L3).
The clean sheet against Palace was also Arsenal’s first during their patchy run of form and only their second in the last ten games across all competitions since obliterating RC Lens 6-0 at the Emirates in their penultimate Champions League group phase fixture.
The emphatic win against Palace has bumped Arsenal into third place, displacing this season’s surprise package, Aston Villa, although only on goal difference, with both sides boasting an identical point tally.
Arsenal have also drawn level on points with Manchester City, although the title holders and treble winners have a game in hand.
There remains a five-point gap between Arteta’s side and Premier League pacesetters Liverpool. But the Gunners will be eager to use the win against Palace as a springboard that catapults them back into the title race.
Arsenal are looking to build on their most recent victory. But there are a couple of tricky fixtures on the horizon, including a matchup against Liverpool.
They’ll feel they have a bone to pick with Jurgen Klopp’s red machines following their 2-0 defeat against the Reds in the third round of their favourite tournament – the FA Cup.
The second half of the season will be crucial to Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes.
They’ll be keen to set the record straight, particularly after the events of the previous campaign, where they surrendered a comfortable lead at the summit, allowing City snatch a third consecutive league title.
With that in mind, we delve into the north London outfit’s five upcoming Premier League fixtures and compare them to other top-four rivals.
Arsenal
Nottingham Forest (A) – Tuesday, January 30
Arsenal’s first of the next five games feature a trip to City Ground, where they’ll take on relegation-threatened Forest, who have been on the ascendancy under the leadership of Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Tricky Trees have lost just two of their seven games in all competitions with Nuno at the helm (W3, D2).
Forest have slain a few giants since Nuno arrived, thrashing Newcastle 3-1 at St. James’ Park before rounding off 2023 with a shocking 2-1 victory over Manchester United on home turf.
Even before Nuno’s arrival, Forest were familiar with the concept of stunning the big boys. So Arsenal can ill-afford complacency, although they were victorious the last times both sides met at the start of the season.
Liverpool (H) – Sunday, February 4
Arsenal will be eager to settle the score with title rivals Liverpool when both sides renew hostilities at the Emirates.
The Reds orchestrated Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round elimination courtesy of an unfortunate own goal from Jakub Kiwior and a strike from Luis Diaz.
The scoreline didn’t tell the full story, as the Gunners were the better side in the contest, but they were thwarted by their profligacy in the final third, failing to convert any of their five big chances.
Arsenal have won just one of their last seven Premier League games against Liverpool, and another defeat against the Reds could spell a premature end for the Gunners’ title hopes.
West Ham United (A) – Sunday, February 11
From one vengeance mission to the other, Arsenal will take on West Ham at London Stadium, eager to avenge their disappointing 3-1 defeat to the Hammers in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.
West Ham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games (W3, D2) and have also lost just two of their previous nine fixtures across all competitions (W4, D3).
David Moyes’ side have always been a thorn in Arsenal’s flesh and played a big role in the capitulation of the Gunners at the back end of last season.
Arsenal have failed to beat West Ham in the Premier League in their last two attempts. They’ll fancy their chances of avoiding three consecutive games without a win against their capital rivals.
Burnley (A) – Saturday, January 17
Two of Pep Guardiola’s finest proteges lock horns from opposite sides of the table as Arsenal travel to Turf Moor to take on relegation-battling Burnley.
The Clarets are perched at 19th place in the Premier League standings and rank second for the worst attacking and defensive records in the division this season.
The Gunners picked up an emphatic 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the Emirates and must repeat that performance to avoid slipping up against the struggling Clarets.
Newcastle United (H) – Saturday, February 24
Newcastle are a shadow of the side that sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League last season after qualifying for the Champions League.
But they have since crashed out of Europe’s most prestigious club tournament and are languishing in mid-table mediocrity in the Premier League table.
The Magpies have won just two of their last ten games in all competitions (W2) and are currently on a four-match losing streak in the Premier League.
They have enough time to string a couple of results together before facing Arsenal next month. But the Gunners should be able to avenge their controversial defeat against the Magpies in their previous meeting.
Liverpool
Chelsea (H) – January 31
Arsenal (A) – February 4
Burnley (H) – February 10
Brentford (A) – February 17
Luton Town (H) – February 24
Manchester City
Burnley (H) – January 31
Brentford (A) – February 5
Everton (H) – February 10
Chelsea (H) – February 17
Brentford (H) – February 20
Aston Villa
Newcastle United (H) – January 30
Sheffield United (A) – February 3
Manchester United (H) – February 11
Fulham (A) – February 17
Nottingham Forest (H) – February 24