Examining Arsenal’s campaign with less than a month remaining in the Premier League season

Given the fact that many believed Arsenal would struggle to make the top four in the Premier League this season, their performance this campaign cannot be considered anything other than a huge success.

In spite of that, fans of the famed North London club will still be disappointed if they are unable to capitalise on their phenomenal season and hoist the Premier League trophy for the first time in two decades – after the Gunners held a 12-point lead in the table less than two months ago.

However, when you have a club as talented and accomplished as Manchester City challenging you for the top spot – going on to finish atop the table at the conclusion of the final day is easier said than done. And while City’s form has been nothing short of incredible in recent weeks – of which includes ten straight wins dating back to February 25 – Arsenal’s capitulation at the business end of the season has equally played a role in Mikel Arteta’s squad not being favoured in the betting lines to win it all come the end of the May.

They had a particularly terrible month of football in April, giving up crucial points as they drew on three consecutive occasions with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton. They could be forgiven for their slip up against the Reds, as Jurgen Klopp’s squad were motivated by a potential Champions League spot. And that point at Anfield could prove crucial in the context of Liverpool’s season, as they have firmed to 7/4 in the top 4 odds, just behind that of Manchester United and Newcastle.

Arsenal’s results against West Ham and Southampton were inexcusable however, as both teams were floundering towards the bottom of the table. Due to those poor showings, it put enormous pressure on Bukayo Saka and company in their top of the table clash with Manchester City at the Etihad on April 26 – as a win for Pep Guardiola’s men would put them in the driver’s seat for a seventh title in twelve years.

City would trounce Arsenal 4-1 – ensuring that the Gunners had given up nine potential premiership points in the space of four games.

As mentioned earlier, that will be a bitter pill to swallow for Gunners supporters. With that being said, with Champions League football guaranteed next season and a core of world class players now at their disposal, is this season’s success a sign of things to come for the men in red and white? Or conversely, was this campaign simply a flash in the pan?

Only time will tell, and while they may not be able to challenge the world class outfits in the Champions League just yet – one thing we can say with confidence is that if the Arsenal squad remains largely unchanged – we can expect to see them challenging for many Premier League titles over the next few years.

For those who are of the opinion that they can defy the odds and achieve the ultimate success this season and win the Premier League, at the time of writing, the Gunners are the second favourites at 8/1 to do so.