Why underrating Arsenal’s title credentials is dangerous

Arsenal is having an impressive Premier League season, but people don’t seem to take Mikel Arteta’s men seriously, which is understandable, considering their previous history of bottling EPL leads.

They are also being led by a manager who many consider inexperienced. However, it might be a big mistake to think they certainly cannot win the league title for these reasons because, in football, you never really know what can happen.

The Gunners won 12 of their 14 league matches before the World Cup break and will be full of confidence at the restart, yet not every fan or pundit believes they have what it takes to win the title, at least not this season.

There are so many reasons why many believe they will eventually bottle it, but there are grounds to make a case for them winning the title.

In this article, we focus on why we believe they are in a good position to triumph, and it probably isn’t so smart to write them off.

Arteta worked at Manchester City

One of the best ways to become successful in any field is to be mentored by a successful person who has been there before you and knows the road leading to victory.

Arteta finished his playing career in 2016 and immediately joined Manchester City to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager at the Etihad after deciding he would go into management at the end of his playing days.

The ex-midfielder worked with his fellow Spaniard between then and 2019, winning at least two league titles. Some of the players at City then credit him for helping them get better, a trait that will later serve him as a senior manager.

The former Everton man is now proving his worth at Arsenal. He has had the education and experience to lead the Gunners to victory this term, and it could be too much of a gamble to bet against them.

Other title challengers need more consistency

Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table by the World Cup break because other title challengers have struggled with consistency.

Over the years, Liverpool has been the club challenging City for the league title, but the Reds have been plagued by injuries to key players this term, affecting their performance in the first half.

It has led to them losing games they should easily win, but Arsenal has stayed consistent and winning, which is a clear sign that they are ready to take advantage of slip-ups from other clubs to overachieve their unlikely goal of becoming Premier League champions.

Their mid-season friendly performance shows the Gunners could continue winning in the second half, which is a sure way to remain at the top of the league table by winning even more points.

Arsenal has youthful players with a lot of energy

There is an argument that young players do not win titles, and it seems to be true, considering that every club that wins trophies needs experienced heads around their squad who can get them over the line.

However, what young players give is so much energy, and Arsenal has them in abundance as Arteta continues to trust the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli.

In the second half of the season, older players begin to tire out, but Arsenal’s youngsters will still have the strength to keep running at defenders and working hard on the pitch to make things happen.

Their team also has a nice blend of experienced players like Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, who lead their midfield. This combination has done the trick for most title winners before now.

The experienced heads can help the youngsters around them to stay focused, ensuring they can win as many games as possible, the easiest way to win the title.

They can make purchases in January

The January transfer window offers all the Premier League clubs a unique chance to add new men to their squad. The Gunners will be delighted and prepared to bring some new names to the Emirates and improve the quality of their group.

They have been superb in the first half of the season, but they must have discovered parts of their squad that need strengthening.

Several players have been linked with a move to Arsenal in this campaign, and when the transfer window reopens in January, they can bolster their squad with men that will make them even better in the second half.

Their midfield, defence and attack have been superb so far, but they can add some experience in defence and attack to complement their already talented group of youngsters in these positions.

Less pressure and expectations

Arsenal has thrived on being the underdog, and they could ride on that until the end of the season and win the league title if no one stops them when the matches restart.

In the 2015/2016 term, everyone ruled Leicester City out of winning the league title when the Foxes were winning match after match. Little did we know we were in for the surprise of the decade at the end of that football year.

They had only just survived relegation in the previous term, so no one believed they could win. But Claudio Ranieri led them to an unlikely EPL title win before that season finished after Tottenham dropped points against Chelsea.

Arsenal’s story will not be that unique if they win, but they have consistently been considered a club holding the top spot for Manchester City or Liverpool. They could be the real deal, and time will tell.

But not expecting them to win means they are playing under less pressure and fewer expectations, which is great for them.

If they keep winning and no one believes in them, they have a unique chance to do something exceptional, and it will be almost a miracle for Arteta’s side to go from finishing fifth last term to winning the league title.

Emirates, the new fortress

One of the secrets of success in the Premier League is to make it hard for anyone to beat you at home, and Arsenal has mastered that this season.

The Emirates was previously a ground most top clubs liked to visit because they knew they would almost certainly come back with all the points.

However, this season has been different, with the Gunners beating Liverpool and Tottenham among the top sides in the division before the break.

Arteta’s men won 6 of their opening 6 league games at home, which is a key reason they have spent so much time at the top of the standings.

If they continue winning their home games in the second half of the season, they will give themselves a good chance of winning the title, considering it will mean they have guaranteed half the points available in a league term.

The Premier League is one of the world’s toughest competitions and is typically unpredictable until its latter stages, which makes sense to argue that it is too early to predict a winner.

However, a team that could win the title sometimes shows that with their form at the beginning of the term more often than not.

Arsenal has not been in great shape in the last few years and hasn’t won the league title since 2004, but Arteta’s side has been terrific this term, and their fans are buying more Arsenal tickets because they are sure their team will deliver top performances in every game.

Liverpool, Manchester City and even Tottenham are still brilliant choices if you want to pick the winner of the 20222/2023 EPL title, considering they have a history of success or a good manager at the helm.

However, completely ruling Arsenal out of the occasion will not be wise because we have seen several times that unfancied clubs can make a giant leap and win the title.

For now, we. Look forward to seeing how the Gunners will perform on the return of football after the Christmas celebration.

If their key men stay fit, we expect to see them show why they have refused to drop down from the top of the table for so long. But a few injuries and inconsistent run of form from some important players will change all that. Considering how fast and thick the league games will come when football eventually returns, this will be an unforgivable mistake.