Liverpool are still in prime position to win their second Premier League crown but their draw at Newcastle has seen the doors open to challengers Chelsea and Arsenal heading into the hectic festive period
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal are seven points behind Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)
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For the first time in three years, Arsenal are the hunters in this title race rather than being the hunted.
We will only discover at the end of the season whether the change in roles suits Mikel Arteta’s men. But what is clear is that a seven-point lead - which is what Liverpool have over Arsenal and Chelsea - has not been enough in recent seasons.
And that in itself should give Arteta - and indeed Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca’s surprise challengers - major hope that Arsenal can reel Liverpool back in. Back in the 2022/23 season, Arsenal were seven points ahead of Manchester City after 16 games - and still ended up finishing second behind Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.
Last season, it was much tighter. But after 14 games - the same number played as this season - Arsenal were leading the way again as they were two points ahead of Liverpool and three ahead of Manchester City.
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That played out to a familiar script as Arsenal finished second, City won the title and suddenly questions were being asked as to whether Arteta’s men could lift themselves from the disappointment to challenge for a third season. It has definitely played out differently as Arsenal have lacked a consistency this season which saw them slip nine points behind Liverpool.
But suddenly, the door has opened. Liverpool dropping two points with their draw at Newcastle has given Arsenal fresh hope from a different perspective.
Furthermore, Arsenal’s next four Premier League games - Fulham, Crystal Palace, Everton and Ipswich - are all against opponents currently in the bottom half of the table. They also play Brentford on New Year’s Day and, even though Thomas Frank’s men are hard to beat at home and are currently ninth in the table, it is another London game for the Gunners who do not leave the capital until they travel to Brighton on January 4.
In other words, if Arsenal are to make up ground on Liverpool then the next month will be key to their chances of winning the title. But does it help to be the hunter rather than the hunted? It’s a difficult argument because if you asked any Arsenal fan in the Emirates on Wednesday night, they would have said the pressure and expectation of beating Manchester United was overwhelming.
Liverpool let two points slip against Newcastle ( Image: Getty Images)
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That comes from the fear of falling further behind in the title race. Arsenal could not lose more ground so it is hard to argue that it is easier to chase.
Having said that, there is probably less external pressure because when you streak clear everyone is watching and if you slip up then they will be seen as bottlers if they blow it for a third year running.
Liverpool are probably feeling a different kind of pressure right now. Blowing it from here would be seen as bottling it and failure. It really would.
That is why this season might just suit Arsenal. They blew it last year with back-to-back defeats against West Ham and Fulham between Christmas and New Year before crashing out of the FA Cup to Liverpool.
But then they had a reset in January when they went to Dubai, had a training camp and went from struggling to create chances to scoring goals for fun.
Enzo Maresca has Chelsea sitting second (
Image:
Getty Images)
That was a game-changer. Maybe Arsenal’s last three wins - Nottingham Forest, West Ham and now Manchester United - has given them momentum and belief. From struggling to find consistency, they look to have rediscovered some.
Injuries are still a big issue with the games coming thick and fast. Ben White is out long term. Richard Calafiori keeps missing games. They hope to have him and Gabriel back for the visit to Fulham.
But they could do with Takehiro Tomiyasu returning rather than having to rely on the error-prone Oleksandr Zinchenko who makes a gaffe in every game he plays. Finally, the spotlight should be on Arteta. He needs to start winning. His last major trophy was the FA Cup in 2020. Since then, Arsenal have improved dramatically and of course he deserves huge respect for the job he has done.
But the pressure is on him to win silverware - and get his team over the line in a title race. With Manchester City looking like an ageing team, this season might well give us new champions.
And after being the closest challengers for the past two years, if Arsenal let Liverpool take the crown then it will be a huge wasted opportunity and sense of frustration for Arteta. That is why being the hunters must work for Arsenal this time in a way that being the hunted saw them get caught in the past two years.
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