POLE POSITION: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta knows there’s still a long way to go before his team can be crowned champions. AFP Photo
Paul Kennedy
I’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity for Arsenal’s bubble to burst. But it seems finally, the Gooners are made of much sterner stuff.
You see in the past, because of three good friends of mine who are ardent, yet deluded, Arsenal fans, it’s been a joy to watch them capitulate season after season.
Their campaign usually starts with a bang, straight out of the blocks at breakneck speeds, with supporters telling anyone that will listen that this year will be their year.
Then around October, November, the rot sets in. And by the end of the year, those lovable north Londoners (two of my Gooner pals are from Ireland and Kenya, obviously) are normally calling for the manager’s head served up on a plate.
This time around is different. Mikel Arteta has them purring like a finely tuned engine. As well as putting in some excellent performances and blowing teams away, they are also doing what, in my opinion, is the most important thing a Premier League-winning side can do, and that is grinding out results.
Take last week for example against Manchester United. With the scores level at 2-2 and just a few minutes remaining, the Arsenal of old would have been happy with a point. Not today. This team pushed and pushed and eventually got their reward with an injury-time winner to secure all three points.
Currently, they are five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand. At this point, I’m starting to think it’s theirs to lose. Then I see what’s ahead.
Arsenal still have to play City home and away. They also have to travel to Liverpool and Newcastle. And I get that Liverpool are far from the real deal this season, but that’s a tough away fixture.
Lose a few of those, and get the odd draw here and there, and that five-point gap is slashed.
City also have a massive eye on the Champions League. It’s the one trophy that has eluded Pep Guardiola in his spell as manager.
I think if you were to ask Pep off the record he’d take success in Europe over winning the Premier League.
So while I’ve no doubt that Arsenal are the team to catch, I do think any talk of winning the title for the first time in 20 years is extremely premature. There’s still an awful lot of football to play, and if City were to get knocked out of the Champions League, then they will be guns blazing to regain their domestic title.
Plus, I don’t quite think Arsenal have the squad to rest players in the second half of the season, certainly not when you compare it to Pep’s.
Arsenal have had an amazing season. And yes, they still could win the league. But they need to be at their best, and better, for the remainder of the campaign.
And they need luck. They need to stay injury free and hope City manage to go all the way in the Champions League. VNS
OVietnam