Arsenal defeated Tottenham 4-1 to put their title challenge back on track. Sunday’s home game against Chelsea will be another chance to extend their impressive record against the London side.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is chasing glory (Image: Mike Hewitt, Getty Images)
William Saliba has insisted Arsenal must “embrace the pressure” of competing for the title. And with 10 games remaining, Arsenal are 10 steps away from glory and their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Their first game is against Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday, which should bode well for Arsenal, who have been relentless when it comes to the London derby. Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday means they have won 18 of their last 25 London derbies, drawn six and lost just one.
Arsenal’s record against Chelsea is even more impressive as they last lost to the Blues in August 2021 and have faced them 10 times since then. Three of their last five games have been at home, and three of their remaining four have ended the season with a London derby against Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
The only away game against a team in the top half of the table is a trip to Manchester City, which will obviously have a big impact but may not be decisive in the end. That’s why Arsenal feel they will never have a better chance after reaffirming their authority in the title race with victory at Tottenham.
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Arsenal defender Saliba said: “It’s good but we know it’s not over yet. We have 10 games left and we know it’s in our hands. If we do well and win all the next 10 games we’ll win this league, but we know it won’t be easy.”
“There’s always pressure because it’s the best league in the world, but we’ll do our best and accept the pressure.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta echoed this view following Tottenham’s victory, but his comments also highlighted just how much the title means. “You don’t feel like that when you’re disappointed in your job,” Arteta said.
“It’s much bigger than that. It’s our passion, it’s the purpose we have, it’s the goals we have, it’s what we want to do. And it’s very painful. But it’s also very rewarding.”
“And football teaches you to keep going, to win no matter what, to keep going, because even if you lose, even if you fall, it’s worth it to keep going, especially for the guys at this club.”
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William Saliba sent a message to his teammates (Image: Getty Images)
Sky pundit Gary Neville has praised Arteta’s regime, claiming he believes Arsenal will go to City and win to prove they are champions. Incredibly, Opta’s supercomputer still says Arsenal have an 83.5% chance of winning the title, compared to City’s 15.7%, which is surprising given the Gunners’ recent slump (just two of their seven wins before Spurs) and City’s wealth of experience.
The biggest worry for Arsenal fans will be the accusations that they are ‘bottling’. To be fair, that feels like a false narrative when applied to the past three seasons of runner-up finishes. They never seriously challenged Liverpool last season.
The previous year, in the 2023-24 season, they won eight of their last nine games, but suffered a loss at home to Aston Villa. No one expected them to be a challenger in 2022-23. That was completely unexpected. So it’s hard to argue that they bottled it.
Don’t get me wrong, if they don’t do it this year they will bottle it. The furthest they lead after all match rounds is 7 points. But they are missing a huge opportunity to extend that advantage.
Now comes the real test, but the truth is that belief from outsiders seems to outweigh any nervousness on the part of Arsenal’s fan base. Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet said in an interview with betting side Bet Right: “Arsenal will feel stronger heading into the final third of this season given their experience so far.”
“They’ve been in this position before and they came up short, so I’m sure Mikel Arteta will look back at their shortcomings from last season and use those learnings. “It’s going to be a tougher time for Arsenal this season, but I still believe they’ll win this season.”
“Mentally it’s easier to chase than be chased. Manchester City will feel they have nothing to lose and they can really build momentum.
“It’s much harder to do that when you’re in front of them. That said, from a neutral standpoint, Arsenal look like they’re finally coming together. When a team consistently challenges for the Premier League over multiple seasons, it’s inevitable that they’ll win eventually.”
The 10-game trip begins Sunday. If we beat Chelsea, we might actually only need six more wins. Last season, Liverpool won with 85 points, with Arsenal in second place, 10 points behind.
To reach this figure, Arsenal would need to win eight games, but seven wins, two draws and one loss would likely be enough. And Arsenal are finally crowned champions.
Arsenal boosted confidence by defeating Tottenham (Image: Arsenal FC, Getty Images)
Arsenal’s last 10 Premier League games*
1st March vs Chelsea (H) 4th March vs Brighton (A) 15th March vs Everton (H) 11th April vs Bournemouth (H) 18th April vs Man City (A) 25th April vs Newcastle (H) 2nd May vs Fulham (H) 9th May vs West Ham (A) 17th May vs Burnley (H) May 24 vs Crystal Palace (A)
*Dates are subject to change
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