Will anyone catch Arsenal?

In sports, the only certain prediction is that the individual making it risks appearing foolish. This general truth is especially applicable to the ever-unpredictable Premier League, particularly when predictions are made after only ten games.

With all in mind, I am going to try and gaze into my crystal ball and predict if anyone will be able to stop the current leaders, Arsenal, from finally getting their hands on the most coveted prize in English football—the Premier League trophy.

After three consecutive runners-up spots, Mikel Arteta added Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze to his already impressive squad. The hope was that the considerable attacking talents of Gyökeres and Eze, purchased for a combined fee of more than £120 million, would ensure the perennial bridesmaid finally got their big day.

In the past three seasons, Arsenal have allowed too many points to slip in games they have dominated, and it was hoped that Eze’s trickery and Gyökeres’ ruthlessness in the box would turn costly draws into vital wins and add the points needed to see off their title rivals.

https://youtu.be/6tbnCyRL-I4?si=vNMMv5cmwlmw7mNo

So far, Arsenal has successfully seen off most challenges thrown at them, only dropping points in a tight 1–0 defeat at Anfield and a draw with Manchester City. Arsenal's six-point lead at the top of the table is due to their relentless elimination of the "other" teams—those that don't challenge for the top four or six but often trip up their more prestigious opponents.

This relentlessness has had less to do with the attacking flair acquired in the summer and more to do with a mean defense that refuses to concede goals and a remarkable proficiency from set pieces. This means that Arsenal, despite only scoring six goals from open play, maintains a six-point lead after ten games.

So, will anyone catch them?

As it stands, the most obvious challengers to Arsenal are Manchester City. After a poor start to the season, Pep Guardiola’s team seems to be finding some form, and at just six points behind, they are far from beaten. The truth is, this City team does not feel like previous City teams, and their return to form feels far less secure than it did in years gone by. 

Despite winning five of their last seven league matches, the present squad doesn’t feel like a City team that can win 14 or 18 games in a row, as they did in previous years to romp to the title. Currently, they appear vulnerable on defense, and they are too reliant on Erling Haaland to lead the attack. Stopping Haaland is almost like stopping City!

If City (and Liverpool, for that matter) cannot be relied on to mount a juggernaut-esque run of form that derails Arsenal, is it possible that Arsenal sabotages itself? Could Arsenal's form splutter and stutter, allowing City to overtake them even if City isn't winning every week?

It’s possible that Arsenal may not continue to keep clean sheets each week, and at some point, they are likely to stop scoring from set pieces as frequently. 

But when you look through the Arsenal team, and more importantly, the squad, it simply looks too strong, too well-balanced, and too experienced to repeat the mistakes of previous seasons.

Failing to win the title, having been six points clear in November, would hardly be shocking. Nor would it rank anywhere near the most significant title chokes in Premier League history. But given the context and the squads involved, I would be quite surprised if anyone apart from Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard lifted the Premier League trophy in May.

https://youtu.be/ErsvbJPXDFs?si=Cf9bBYDutgmdIX4Q