Arsenal extended their lead in the Premier League at the weekend by ousting Crystal Palace on Saturday night while Liverpool’s crisis continued and Manchester City were still unable to find the stability they needed.
It was a perfect weekend for Arsenal. They maintained their lead on Sunday night with their seventh win out of nine Premier League games.
The Gunners started the week with a four-point lead over second place after beating Crystal Palace thanks to a goal from Eberechi Eze. But importantly, they are even better than their two title challengers, Liverpool and Manchester City.
The past three years have been a period of near-misses for Mikel Arteta, as he finished second. But now his side look set to end a title drought that stretches back to Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles.
Liverpool’s early promise has disappeared, Arne Slott now has no answer and they are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Josep Guardiola’s side lost at Aston Villa, making it their third defeat this season.
This means that Arsenal maintained a comfortable lead over their chasing teams, bounced back admirably from the much-criticized loss to Liverpool, and established themselves as favorites for the title.
read more: Arsenal move takes them to ‘next level’, rival manager talks about title chancesread more: Eberechi Eze sent a clear message to Crystal Palace fans after scoring Arsenal’s winning goal
I’ve been here before. A few years ago they started well and were top of the table for much of the season until a late collapse saw City surge to the top. A year later they rocked the line late against Villa. But is this finally their moment? Mirror Football writers share their thoughts.
Jeremy Cross
If Arsenal fail to win the title again this season, Arteta should be sacked. There will never be a better chance for him to lead his team to ultimate domestic glory. Arsenal have been fooled by flattery over the past few seasons, but have fallen short.
But while Arsenal’s stingy defense gives them the impression of a champion team, they appear to have learned from their past mistakes. Considering the fact that Liverpool and City are not the powerhouses they once were, it all points to Arsenal making a change and coming out on top.
Arsenal finish the season with games against Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace, but I hope everything will be dusted and dusted by then.
sam mead
I mean, go back just a month or so and we were having the same conversation about Liverpool, so it just goes to show you how quickly things can change. Arsenal are in a good position, but even if their rivals are struggling, that doesn’t mean they can’t catch up.
Arteta’s side have shown impressively that they are explosive and have top-class depth, but an injury to William Saliba would be enough to disrupt their rhythm.
They are definitely scarred by the events of the previous year, when they thought they would soon be able to go home. They may look at Liverpool or City and think they don’t have what it takes to win seven, eight or nine games in a row – and that may be true – but no matter how good they are at the moment, Arsenal could certainly be involved.
james whaling
It looks like the race to avoid relegation could get even more exciting this year, but the hallmarks of a title procession are already starting to emerge. We’ve previously seen City and Liverpool score an avalanche of goals en route to the title, but Arsenal are proving there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Or we could win the Premier League.
It probably won’t win any awards for aesthetics, but who cares? Yesterday’s win against Crystal Palace was a perfect example of why the Gunners have been so difficult to stop this season.
It wasn’t a pretty game, but they had to win the game 1-0. Arteta has built what may be the best defensive unit in the top flight since John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho built a brick wall in the six-yard box at Stamford Bridge.
City are still rebuilding, Liverpool are quickly finding themselves in a deep hole, and there are no other realistic challengers for Arsenal. It’s hard to understand why they can’t finally escape from the monkeys this season.
daniel ohm
As it stands, Arsenal look the closest they’ve ever been to the real thing. The Gunners are by far the most consistent team in the Premier League, and if they can maintain that consistency they have a very real chance of being stripped of the title in May.
But therein lies their problem. There are doubts as to whether this can actually be done. Of course, the current six-point advantage over City is a big bonus, but that could disappear within a few games. It’s certainly not beyond the realm of possibility for City to win 10 games in a row and seize top spot.
Guardiola has built a relentless winning machine at the Etihad. It’s only a matter of time before they really kick into gear.
And you have to wonder if Arsenal will wilt a bit under that pressure. In a tough league like the Premier League, you can’t afford to do that. After all, we’ve all seen it before.
Andy Dunn
Arsenal have been here a few times before, but they haven’t won the Premier League since, so don’t think for a second that the title race is over. And you must be stupid if you think it’s worth taking the bookmaker’s odds of 1/2.
Yes, they have a great defense, that’s for sure. Yes, they obviously have all kinds of threats from set-piece attacks. But as talented as they are, are Arteta’s side a team that should strike fear into opponents in every game? Is it similar to what Manchester City did in their title-winning heyday?
Absolutely not. Liverpool beat Arsenal, City drew with the Emirates and Manchester United were unlucky to lose by the only goal difference at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the season.
The strong teams will come back into form, and there are a number of teams who were probably drafted mid-table that now look like they could challenge for a higher place, Spurs being one of them. Arsenal are currently in top form in the Premier League, but it would be foolish to suggest that the title is any longer a formality.
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