Arsenal had the chance to go five points over second place, Manchester City, after City lost 1-2 to Brentford at the Etihad;and they took the opportunity decisively, thanks to a brace from Martin Odegaard at Molineux.
Arsenal will be atop the table till at least Christmas. The last time Arsenal topped the table at December 25 was in 2007, aseason in which they finished third.
More than Title ‘Pretenders’
Barely would anyone have listed Arsenal as one of the English Premier League title contenders when this seasonbegan. Even when the season started and the London Clubstayed put at the top of the table, many were expecting that they would soon drop points.
It did not take long before Arsenal yielded to the predictions of many, after losing 3-1 to Manchester United at the Old Trafford. The Mikel Arteta side, however, to the surprise of many picked up their winning form again and kept going against all odds.
It would be clueless to opine that the position of Arsenal on the log has been due to the underperformance of Liverpool and Chelsea. Arsenal being first has not only been down to the underwhelming performance of their rivals but Arsenal themselves have been brilliant this season.
Eventual Winners?
Beyond every reasonable doubt, Arsenal’s run of form has been convincing, and they are in fact one of the biggest contenders for the EPL title bar Manchester City.
With the world cup closing in, the only fear for Arsenal after the world cup would be cases of injuries. The risk of injury that a world cup in December poses is not only restricted to Arsenal players.
Apart from injury threats, another risk is the issue of rhythm breakage. Brief international breaks have taken its toll on big teams in the past. The world cup will last for a month: will that breaks Arsenal’s rhythm?
If Arsenal must remain relevant in this title race, then the club must be ready to spend in the winter transfer window for squad depth.
By Maestro
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