Arsenal have ‘four players’ who give them advantage over Liverpool and Man City in title race
Arsenal have enjoyed a strong start to the new season so far and are aiming to continue to upward momentum as they chase the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta’s side beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage on 18 October, lifting them to first place in the league table and three points clear of second-placed Man City.
The Gunners have lost just one game so far this season, a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, but have since kept up their form while their rivals have stuttered.
Liverpool are on a four-game losing streak, and while Man City have picked up their form due to Erling Haaland’s goalscoring exploits, they remain in second.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been backed to win the Premier League by the Opta supercomputer, with Arteta’s side winning the league 44 per cent of the time from 10,000 simulations.
Arsenal backed to win the Premier League with clear advantage
Arsenal have been heavily tipped as the favourites to win the title this season, with their back line providing them with a glaring advantage over their rivals.
The Gunners’ defensive stability in their back four, which was on display again against Fulham, means they do not have to rely on their attacking players being on form to get results.
That is according to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Old Trafford for over a decade during the club’s most successful period, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Arteta’s team have placed themselves in pole position.
“Arsenal are the favourites to win the title as things stand,” he told Football Insider.
“We’re getting back to the old ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ days under George Graham.
“There’s been a lot of talk about their attacking play, but I don’t see Arsenal as a side who are going to win 4-0 or 5-0 every week, it’s not how they play.
“Their side is built on a solid foundation, they make it very difficult for teams to beat them.
“I think they get stronger in that department every year, and it means even if their attacking players aren’t scoring 25 goals each, they can still win games.
“They’re the best team in the league defensively, the best on set pieces, and that is a major advantage.
“You look at Liverpool, they haven’t got that stability now and they’ve started losing games, and Man City still look a bit vulnerable at times as well.
“Ultimately, the most important part of any title-winning team is the defence, and Arsenal have almost perfected that area.
“If they could add a few more goals, they’d be untouchable, but as it is I think they’re still the favourites.”
Mikel Arteta’s defense praised amid Viktor Gyokeres verdict
The Gunners have conceded just three goals in eight league games so far, while also keeping clean sheets in each of their Carabao Cup and Champions League clashes.
By comparison, last season’s title winners Liverpool have conceded 11, while Man City have conceded double that of Arsenal with six goals in eight games.
Concerns have been raised about Viktor Gyokeres and his early form since joining from Sporting CP, but while his goals have dried up, they are not the Gunners’ priority.
As things stand, Arsenal are on track to beat Chelsea’s record of just 15 goals conceded across a 38 game season, when the Blues won the title in the 2004-05 season.
While the Gunners have faced plenty of criticism for their style and focus on set-pieces, they now appear closer than ever to achieving their goal of lifting major silverware.
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