Will Arsenal Win the League?

There’s a question we didn’t think we would be asking at this stage of the season. However, we believe it is fair to say that not many Gunners fancied themselves to finish at the top of the pile at the end of this year’s Premier League campaign. Arsenal is one of the most well-supported clubs in England; the rise of the internet as a sports media platform, allowing fans worldwide to follow their chosen teams far more straightforward, is one of the key reasons their fan base has continued to grow. The internet has also created huge new markets that exist solely due to the advances made in this sector. 

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Following Liverpool’s resounding victory against Manchester City in the Community Shield; every analyst said either of these teams would win the league. Some experts fancied Chelsea to break the two North West-based clubs’ duopoly over the rest of the league, which has been in place for the best part of half a decade. However, one club that nobody saw gatecrashing the party was one of England’s biggest and most historical clubs – Arsenal.

The Arteta Project

When the Spaniard switched from Manchester City’s number 2 to the leading man in the dugout for the Gunners, many saw this as an exciting move for Mikel and a gamble into the unknown for London’s biggest club. Having not won the Premier League for nearly two decades, a club the size of Arsenal needed to forge a path back into the league’s upper echelons.

Arteta started well, having lifted the FA Cup in his first year. Although there were some detractors amongst the fans at the Emirates and a relatively unimpressive second league season, some were wondering if he was the man for the job. However, those in charge at Arsenal knew it was a gamble. In addition, they were willing to wait for the project to come to fruition. These things take time. You only need to look at how badly Chelsea is doing now. If an owner emphasises instant success and spends big on many players, this rarely brings overnight success.

Arsenal has found a perfect balance. Having given Mikel the best part of 4 years to build his squad, implement his ethos and embed his style of play into his system. The Arsenal board will be ecstatic at the results they have seen throughout this season. Despite minor disappointments, such as against a reinvigorated Everton FC under Sean Dyche, the results have been overwhelmingly positive. 

Although Everton still looks like a team that could get relegated, Goodison Park is certainly a ground where the Gunners have struggled recently. Given it was Dyche’s first game in charge, a new manager bounce was to be expected.

Mentality Of Champions

The real challenge was for Arsenal to bounce back from this result and show they have what it takes to become champions. This has been evident since early in the season. Following a blistering start which saw them pick up three points against Liverpool & Manchester United, many thought Arsenal would bottle it at some point.

However, even though there’s still time for them to allow Manchester City to catch up, the bookmakers now have them as the favorites. With a tough run of games to come, it will be down the business end of the season when this title is decided. There are pivotal games for the champions-elect. Games that highlight the character, heart, and determination to win when it seems like it isn’t their day are vital for potential champions. Man City had it on the final day of last season when they went down 2-0 against Aston Villa and rallied to win 3-2 and lift the Premier League. 

Against Bournemouth in the first week of March, Arsenal was 2-0 down, and following a spirited and courageous resurgence, they brought it back to win the game 3-2. This type of game is the real mark of champions and would suggest they have one hand on the trophy. Although City has beaten Arsenal this season, if they can focus on their winnable games, they will lift their first title in nearly two decades. 

The fact that they haven’t won the league for so long will spare them from pipping the enormous spending Manchester City to the title. That’s not to say Arsenal hasn’t spent money, but with half of the league-owned by billionaires, money is only sometimes the answer. Brighton & Hove Albion are heading for Europe on a comparatively smaller budget than Everton, who have splashed out over half a billion and look like they will be playing Championship football.

We would say Arsenal will go on to win the league. 

They have looked like real champions this year and have some of the best players in the world, like Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka, firing on all cylinders. Some teams have blown leads bigger than this in the past, but as long as Arsenal stay focused, this season’s title will likely head to North London.