The Premier League season, till now, had been overwhelmingly positive for the Gunners and given the tumultuous campaign Manchester City were having, most Arsenal fans were aware of what the season culmination might actually entail.
The expectations were somewhat tempered given past heartbreaks but the fact that Arteta’s men fully deserve the accolades coming their way is undeniable. Having said that, the jitters in the Gunners’ camp will have increased manifold since last night.
And the reason is their first slump of the season which has seen the Gunners winless in their last in four of their past five games, losing crucial points along the way, but none as vital as the ones dropped against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in an enthralling 1-3 game which ended in favour of the Sky Blues.
Yesterday’s extra time win at Vila Park will surely give the Gunner much needed confidence for the remaining fixtures.
And with Man City only managing a 1-1 away draw at Nottingham Forest the lead the top of the table now stands at 2 point with a game in hand.
The Gunners will be looking to make it 2 wins in a row when they travel to Leicester City on Feb 25th, and the bookies are certainly expecting Arsenal to come away with the 3 points, with BetMGM pricing at an Arsenal win at -140.
We are also expecting the Gunners to triumph at the King Power stadium and given Arsenal’s tendency to concede goals (they’ve let in at least 1 goal in 5 of their past 6 matches) we are also inclined to pick the over 2.5 market priced at -141.
For the punters who decide to wager on this game bets be sure to check out the 1,000 risk-free bet offered by BetMGM, More info can be found in this detailed BetMGM Sportsbook Review.
Now let us take at why Mikel Arteta’s boys are truly up against it in the Premier League title race and their odds of lifting the trophy.
Manchester City, despite their wobbles and off-field issues have a philosophy carved out in stone for them which the manager has managed to inculcate into their squad over the 7 years he has been here at the Etihad. The players might have their off-days, and most of them seemed to be on the same form cycle this season, but a playing style, so richly ingrained, does not dissipate overnight.
While Arteta has brought his own philosophy to a club which seemed to be missing one over the last few years, the ammunition at his disposal to execute it pales in front of that of Manchester City. The Gunners’ boss has managed to work wonders with the gifted young players at his disposal, but the longevity over the course of the season will always have a question mark hovering above it.
Here is where a well-oiled machine like Manchester City come into the equation to make the Premier League one of, if not the toughest league to win in Europe. The Sky Blues have taken over the title of the ‘Mentality Monsters’ from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side and a possible 5th Premier League title in the last 6 seasons, bear testament to the fact.
Manchester City know the league inside out and know the art of sustaining their momentum and desire over the course of the whole season, as the Liverpool squad know only too well. Considered to be one of the best Liverpool squads of all-time, their best was not enough to finish on top of the table for a couple of years in the face of an unflinching and dizzyingly high on quality Man City. An occurrence, which having taken place on far too many occasions, has contributed greatly to the Reds’ demise this season.
Given these factors discussed above, Arsenal who are second on goal difference having played a game less than City, have a mighty battle on their hands to fulfill the nigh impossible job of finishing a Premier League season, ahead of a Pep Guardiola managed Manchester City side.