Arsenal face a new challenge in the race for the Premier League title this season - with some challenging fixtures coming up compared to their rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
17:40, 20 Nov 2025
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.(Image: Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are the side that everyone is trying to catch in the Premier League, with Mikel Arteta's team getting off to an ideal start in the top-flight. The Gunners have 26 points from their opening 11 matches, building a four-point gap over second-place Manchester City.
With years gone by proving that the north London club can't rest too easily with Pep Guardiola's men right behind them, it's up to the team to keep finding results. After Arsenal's late draw against Sunderland, there have been two weeks to reset and go again after the international break, with some big fixtures coming up.
The reality for Arteta and his side is that they seemingly have the toughest run out of their close rivals in the race for the Premier League crown. That's according to Opta Analyst and their supercomputer rankings, which have the team ninth for fixture difficulty over the next five matches.
A lot of that challenge might well be weighted towards their early fixtures - with the North London Derby against Tottenham up next - before then facing off with Chelsea. However, clashes with Brentford, Aston Villa and Wolves won't be particularly easy, either, as the festive fixture list beckons.
That's in contrast to Liverpool and Man City; the two teams that have been tipped to mounting a title challenge against the Gunners. Starting with the current champions, they are ranked as having the easiest next five fixtures, with three of the current bottom five awaiting them.
Liverpool's run of form has seen them win just one game in their last five Premier League matches but, given the quality in their squad, there is ability to put together a streak of wins. Even with the gap of eight points between them and Arsenal, the Merseyside club know just how quickly those points can slip away.
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Man City's run is looking favourable, too, with the third-easiest run on paper, according to the Opta Analyst data. Guardiola's men take on Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace, all of which could cause some problems if the Blues aren't careful.
If Liverpool and Man City manage to put together some impressive runs of form across this period, Arsenal could quickly see their lead at the top evaporate unless they can also keep up. It shows the reality of the title race, with nothing being won at this stage of the season.
Guardiola made it clear when speaking after his side's victory over Liverpool, when he told the press: "I think Liverpool and us said; 'Oh wow Arsenal dropped points finally and conceded two goals'. But at the end, we have to do it, and I said to the players; 'Don't do it because yesterday Arsenal didn't win. Do it because we believe in ourselves that we can play against the champions of England and show them we are ready to be there with them this season'.
"Today we proved it. We did it." In the same respect, Arsenal cannot treat the upcoming fixtures as ones that will decide the title or not with every dropped or gained point.
It's a long season - so there will be twists and turns - but the reality is that they need to find a way to keep winning games as they go, irrespective of their challenges. One of those challenges comes in the shape of their recent injury woes.
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As many as eight Arsenal players could miss the North London Derby, only adding further pressure to the difficulty of the upcoming fixture. However, that is the challenge that faces a team looking to be champions, with the squad now built to deal with those challenges.