liverpool– armory may be on top of Premier League It’s Christmas again, but Mikel Arteta’s team are starting to look like one of those toys whose batteries have a frustratingly short lifespan.
But at least they are durable. after working hard for a week 2-1 Home win against lower team wolverhampton wanderers – Arsenal’s winner in that game was a stoppage-time own goal – the Gunners gave proof of their toughness mentally and physically by sealing one. 1-0 win over everton a few hours later on Saturday Manchester City ousted them from the top spot with an easy win west ham united,
first part Victor Gyokres fine, given for a jake o’brien Handball, was enough to earn three points – leandro trossard And Martin Zubimendi Both later had shots against the post – but it was a slog rather than a victory based on stylish attacking football. The game indicated that Arsenal’s lack of talent and killer instinct was in danger of becoming a trend.
Less than a month ago, Arsenal moved six points clear at the top – and seven ahead of City – when a Eberechi Eze Hat-trick laid the foundation 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur In the Emirates.
, Liverpool’s win affected as pressure on Frank increases due to Isak’s injury
, Man City’s Haaland brings back the iconic robot goal celebration
– VAR Review: Was Xavi Simmons’ raid vs Liverpool worthy?
At the time, Arteta’s team looked to be ahead of the chasing group and a procession to a first league title since 2004 was beginning to look inevitable, especially as City were the defending champions. liverpool Were stumbling unnaturally.
But those dreams of reaching the title are now a distant memory. Man City are back on Arsenal’s tail and if the Gunners are going to finish the season as champions, they really have to earn it.
The positive side of Saturday’s win at Everton and last week’s win against Wolves is that Arsenal are winning when their performances are below their usual standard. This type of resilience is often the hallmark of champions.
But the more negative interpretation is that Arsenal are beginning to feel the heat and their limitations are now being exposed, just as City are starting to look like their old self again under Pep Guardiola. On the evidence of the 90 minutes at Everton, it appears that Arsenal have lost their early-season momentum.
When they beat Spurs, Arsenal began a 10-game winning streak in all competitions, which ended with a draw. 2-2 draw on SunderlandSpurs’ win got Arteta’s team back on track, but they have since fallen flat chelsea and lost Aston VillaWins against Wolves and Everton were achieved by two own goals and a penalty.
Convinced? Definitely not. But every team goes through a tough phase in a season and if it’s Arsenal’s, they are at least picking up enough points to stay away from City and the rest of the chasing pack.
But history also weighs heavily on Arsenal’s shoulders and it is this factor that will make or break their latest title challenge.
So Arteta’s side will not place too much importance on claiming the Christmas number one spot for the third time in four years. On the two most recent occasions when they were top on 25 December – in 2023–24 and 2022–23 – Arsenal finished the season as runners-up to City and Guardiola’s side have established themselves as their nearest challengers this year with five wins from their last five league games.
City have scored 11 and conceded none in their last four games, so their form looks ominous from Arsenal’s perspective and if anyone has Big Mo, it’s Guardiola’s serial winner.
City moving top for the first time in 14 months ahead of the Arsenal match was another psychological hurdle for the Gunners to overcome, but they remained composed and did just that against David Moyes’s committed, but limited, Everton.
“We’re not looking into that,” When Arteta was asked about City’s victory, the pressure on his team increased“I know you guys do,
“The only thing we can control is our own performances and results and we know how long this is going to last and how difficult this league is.
“The [winning] The gap should have been bigger, but that’s what we have to do – learn, but keep winning.
“That’s it. Enjoy every day. Try your best and see what we get.”
However, some teams are lucky enough to enjoy a title race. They have been a stressful, nine-month battle and even when City were in the pomp of four consecutive title wins, they had to fight off formidable challengers before getting over the line.
That’s the challenge Arsenal face now and they face a proven City team – one that have broken their hearts twice before in recent seasons. But Arsenal can at least enjoy being on top at Christmas. They just have to make sure they are still on top at the end of May to make something worthwhile.
