Arsenal would take a big step towards the Premier League title if they beat West Ham, but any celebrations would be more than justified given their struggles so far.
Mikel Arteta’s celebrations after Arsenal reached the Champions League final have been criticized (Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Given the importance of the match at the London Stadium, it is likely that any celebratory police weekend break will be cancelled. Manchester City put the pressure back on with their win over Brentford, but given the last two Premier League games, Arsenal’s win over West Ham would almost guarantee the Gunners the title.
Pundits like to say that the great thing about the Premier League is that anyone can beat anyone. They’re really the only ones who can’t do it.
Burnley have won four times in the Premier League this season. They are not beating anyone currently sitting in the top half of the table. They will be cannon fodder at the Emirates on May 18th.
And on the final day of the domestic season, Oliver Glasner will surely be in the second team for the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig three days later. I’ve been watching Crystal Palace’s second string side this season. And they lost to Macclesfield.
No, if Arsenal win, the Premier League party could begin. They were criticized for enjoying their Champions League semi-final victory, but perhaps they will rein it in. But the reality is that at this stage of the season, every win feels like a cup final win.
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This is because teams competing in the Premier League and Champions League are forced to battle against their own fatigue week in and week out. When Arsenal step into the London Stadium, it will be their 60th game of the season.
No team has played as many games in Europe’s top leagues. On Friday, it was announced that Bruno Fernandes has been named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Player of the Year. And he is a very worthy winner.
Declan Rice came second in the voting. However, please check your respective workloads. Rice played 4,156 minutes of club football this season. That’s more than 20 hours more than Fernandes had to play.
Declan Rice has played over 4,000 minutes of club football this season (Image: Getty Images)
Martin Zvimendi played just 17 minutes less than Rice in his first season in the Premier League. It will be a battle of attrition, but that’s why Rice’s performance in the second semifinal match against Atletico Madrid was so remarkable.
Arsenal also have the added pressure of widespread suspicions that they will falter on all fronts. Don’t let me tell you that I don’t mind talking. But Mikel Arteta coped with it perfectly. He doesn’t just pretend to accept it, he does.
So when he sees his team qualify for the Champions League final, he should be allowed to celebrate as much as he wants.
Martin Zvimendi will need rest after a tough first season in the Premier League (Image: Arsenal FC, Getty Images)
And if you see your team beat West Ham today, you should be allowed to celebrate as gleefully as you like – if only because it gives the players a few days off. They can rest, recharge and maybe have a pint or two. And then we return to the season’s signature climax.
And even if Arsenal only win one of the two titles they are chasing, it will still have been a great season. Arteta has done very little wrong and should be allowed to celebrate in any way he comes up with whenever he decides to do it.
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