Arsenal was Manchester City’s biggest title rival last season, and the North London club is once again in contention to snatch the English Premier League title from Pep Guardiola’s camp.
The Gunners led the Premier League table for 248 days in the 2022/2023 season, but ultimately, their title charge collapsed when it mattered most.
With the pain of last season still fresh, Mikel Arteta’s side remain in the mix to challenge the blue team from Manchester led by the Spanish wizard, Pep Guardiola. Such a task is daunting for every manager in the league who goes up against him.
Guardiola’s reputation as a winner now transcends the sport of football with head coach of the Boston Celtics Joe Mazzulla stating that Pep is the greatest manager alive currently in professional sports.
Boston Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla has big respect for Pep ⚽️🏀 pic.twitter.com/JpTdZW2nW3
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 26, 2024
This season’s title hunt has become even more challenging with Jürgen Klopp giving it a good go before he finally bows out of the league. As things stand it is Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City in the running to win the 2023/2024 English Premier League title.
With just twelve games to go and two points separating the top three, I believe Arsenal stand a better chance of winning the league title in the three-way horse race this season than they did in the last.
THE SALIBA AND GABRIEL PARTNERSHIP
Watching William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães play together this season makes it easier to understand why Arsenal slipped in the title race last season.
Arsenal’s title hopes collapsed when French defender, Saliba picked up a significant injury that forced him to miss the last 11 games of the season.
They are easily the best defensive partnership in the league, and there is data to prove this obvious fact.
William Saliba has shown composure and mastery alongside his Brazilian center-back partner.
Saliba has played every minute of every Premier League game this season. He and Gabriel have now started 16 matches in a row and 22 of the last 23, with neither Liverpool nor Manchester City boasting such a settled center-back partnership. This really has been Arsenal’s solid foundation in the three-way title challenge.
Their defensive record is impressive whichever way you look at it. Arsenal have kept a league-high 10 clean sheets and conceded a league-low 23 goals. Their expected goals against is 18.2, significantly lower than Manchester City (24.6) and Liverpool (31.9). Only City (8.1) gives up fewer shots per game than Arsenal (8.4).
Those are impressive numbers situated in context and if you are an Arsenal supporter, these are the qualities of champions, indicating the club is headed in the right direction.
THE NICOLA JOVER EFFECT PAYING OFF
In the 2020/2021 league season, only Sheffield United and Fulham scored from fewer set pieces, with just 10% of Arsenal’s goals coming from corners and free-kicks.
After scoring two more set pieces against Newcastle on Saturday, the Gunners have taken their dead ball tally to 19, thanks to the good work of Nicola Jover, who was poached from Manchester City in July 2021.
Arsenal is not the best set-piece side in the league as Sean Dyche’s Everton leads the way with a staggering 53% of their goals coming from corners and free-kicks.
Set pieces are more of a practice-makes-perfect method of scoring, and the practice is certainly paying off for Arsenal, who have recently put Declan Rice on corners to further increase their threat.
Scoring from set pieces may not be as entertaining as scoring from open play, but they will certainly be crucial and come in handy as the Gunners are likely to be involved in tight games that may require a deadball to decide a winner as the season wears on.
It remains a key weapon in their arsenal.
GUNNERS SHARING GOALS
“We have to share goals, and we are responsible for everything,” said Mikel Arteta.
These were the remarks of the Spanish manager when questioned about the possibility of signing a proven and potent striker in the January transfer window.
With no new striker coming through and Gabriel Jesus sidelined, Mikel Arteta has had to rely on the entire team to provide goals.
Since the turn of the year and with the Brazilian injured, the team has stepped up, scoring a staggering 25 goals in six games. Yes, TWENTY-FIVE GOALS IN SIX LEAGUE GAMES. That is a side serious about challenging for the title.
In this same period, Manchester City have scored 13 goals, and Liverpool have banged in 20 goals.
In terms of goals scored in the team, Bukayo Saka leads the Gunners’ top-scoring pack with 13 goals, followed by Leandro Trossard (7), Kai Havertz (6), Gabriel Martinelli (6), Eddie Nketiah (5), and Martin Odegaard (5).
With 12 games left, Arsenal has very tricky ties to navigate. In these pending games, they will have to face Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa. Five games that could define their title hunt.
These games may seem like a tall mountain to climb, but if they continue their superb start to the year, Arteta’s men might have something significant to celebrate come May 19, 2024.
Until then, get a bottle of soda and some popcorn to enjoy the title race between Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arteta’s Arsenal.
