Arsenal are nonetheless 4 factors clear on the prime of the Premier League – however are issues simply beginning to get a bit nervy for the Gunners?
Solely eight days after spurning the prospect to go 9 factors forward of second-placed Manchester Metropolis, their lead has been minimize dramatically following a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest and
Commercial
That first dwelling lack of the season means the Gunners are actually three with out a win within the prime flight.
“It is stress. The stress was on Arsenal at the moment,” former Manchester United captain Roy Keane stated on Sky Sports activities.
“They’re going to have seen the opposite outcomes, they’re in an excellent place, they have all the things going for them… nevertheless it’s stress.
“They’re feeling the stress and it is how they cope with it over the following month or two. That is what’s price them over the previous couple of years.
“I am unable to consider they do not seem like a assured workforce for the place they’re within the league. They have to get again to fundamentals and begin embracing this problem as a substitute of being fearful of it.”
Commercial
Prime of the desk and with all the things of their fingers, the Gunners have been right here earlier than. They’ve completed runners-up in every of the previous three seasons.
Is that this newest wobble an indication of issues to return? Not essentially.
The stats that help Arsenal as title favourites
No matter occurs subsequent, there is not any denying Arsenal are having a massively spectacular season up up to now.
Prime of the desk, a 100% file within the Champions League, a bonus over Chelsea within the Carabao Cup semi-finals and into the fourth spherical of the FA Cup. All 4 trophies stay on the desk.
By way of the Premier League, they’re nonetheless overwhelming favourites to win the title, in line with Opta.
Commercial
They offer the Gunners an 84.44% likelihood of holding on to prime spot regardless of their current run, with Manchester Metropolis in second only a 8.38% likelihood and Aston Villa on 7.09%.
Each different membership within the Premier League has a lower than 1% likelihood of profitable the title.
A key issue behind that quantity may very well be the inconsistency of the chasing pack as a lot as Arsenal’s dominance (till very not too long ago, in fact).
Regardless of shedding one and drawing two of their previous three fixtures, Arsenal nonetheless have the second-best points-per-game ratio throughout the previous six rounds of video games out of any of the highest six groups.
Manchester United have the perfect.
Commercial
Arsenal’s run-in appears beneficial too, with simply two video games left to play in opposition to the present prime six. On paper, it is the perfect out of any of the main sides.
Huge video games left to play:
Arsenal: Chelsea (H – 1 March), Man Metropolis (A – 18 April)
Man Metropolis: Liverpool (A – 8 February), Chelsea (A – 11 April), Arsenal (H – 18 April), Aston Villa (H – 24 Might)
Aston Villa: Chelsea (H – 4 March), Man Utd (A – 14 March), Liverpool (H – 17 Might), Man Metropolis (A – 24 Might)
Man Utd: Aston Villa (H – 14 March), Chelsea (A – 18 April), Liverpool (H – 2 Might)
Chelsea: Arsenal (A – 1 March), Aston Villa (A – 4 March), Man Metropolis (H – 11 April), Man Utd (H – 18 April), Liverpool (A – 9 Might)
Liverpool: Man Metropolis (H – 8 Feb), Man Utd (A – 2 Might), Chelsea (H – 9 Might), Aston Villa (A – 17 Might)
It additionally appears seemingly that this season would require the smallest factors whole to win the league for a while.
Since Arsenal final gained the league 22 years in the past, solely Leicester in 2015-16 had fewer factors after 23 video games than the Gunners.
Arsenal’s 50 factors is a way in need of the common (55) for a Premier League title winner at this level of the season.
In campaigns passed by a wobble like Arsenal’s may very well be seen as massively damaging. This season it appears far much less more likely to be the case.
Commercial
‘We’ve to do extra’
Arteta stated earlier than the match that he wished the gang to “create extra vitality, extra positiveness across the sport” – however that was missing as Arsenal chased a method again into the competition, with Emirates Stadium notably nervy.
And there have been some boos on the remaining whistle – though Arteta put these all the way down to the “calls for and expectation” that comes with difficult for the title.
“It is a part of the journey to profitable,” he stated. “If not, no person will lose soccer matches.
“It is how we react to that, and I’m very satisfied, as a result of I do know these gamers within the dressing them and the way a lot we wish it, that we will react instantly.”
Commercial
The Gunners boss did attempt to drive a end result with a quadruple change when his aspect have been 2-1 down – however, regardless of getting again degree, Matheus Cunha’s glorious late strike secured all three factors for Manchester United.
“It would not matter,” Arteta stated when requested once more concerning the response of the gang. “We’ve to do extra, so perhaps that is not sufficient. We’ve to do extra, there’s nothing else. We’ve to do our highest.
“Once you do this, you may relaxation in peace. At the moment we actually definitely tried to do our highest, however we weren’t environment friendly sufficient in opposition to a workforce that may be very properly organised, and we received punished due to our personal errors as properly.”
Nonetheless in Arsenal’s fingers – however a ‘sobering day’
With a top-two end already secured within the Champions League and a remaining fixture in opposition to bottom-of-the-table Kairat to return on Wednesday, Arteta can have an opportunity to rotate his squad earlier than their subsequent league sport – at Leeds on Saturday.
Commercial
“I believe Arsenal are nonetheless title favourites however it is going to be a priority for Arteta what’s occurred within the final three video games in opposition to Liverpool, [Nottingham] Forest and now Manchester United,” stated ex-England captain Wayne Rooney, who’s a pundit on Sunday’s Match of the Day.
“However I nonetheless suppose they’re most likely slight favourites.”
One trigger for concern would be the lack of a transparent goalscorer of their aspect. None of their attackers are freely scoring in the intervening time, which is placing extra of an emphasis on their menace from set-pieces.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville thinks that it is going to be again to the drafting board for Arteta.
Commercial
“An unimaginable, unimaginable match and a sobering day for Arsenal,” Neville stated on Sky Sports activities.
“They are going to need to regroup, reset and rethink. They’ve nonetheless received a four-point lead and there is nonetheless an extended technique to go, however definitely there will be questions requested after that at the moment.”