‘This is what could stop Arsenal winning the Premier League, I would be worried’
Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table, but more and more rival supporters believe Man City could pip them to the title again.
After 17 matches, Arsenal remain favourites to lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season, but Pep Guardiola‘s side are now only just two points behind the leaders.
As well as competing in the league, the Gunners have the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup to worry about, which could add further stress on the weaker areas of the squad.
Gabriel Jesus has now returned from injury, leaving Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz as the only major absentees, and even that could change in the coming weeks after developments behind the scenes.
Despite all of this, Jamie O’Hara believes one thing could stop the North Londoners from lifting their first league title since 2004, which was made evident during Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal could be their own worst enemy in Premier League title race
Although the Gunners made many chances, they only took the lead through a Maxence Lacroix own goal, and due to their inability to put the game to bed, Palace forced penalties through a Marc Guehi equaliser.
Speaking on talkSPORT (24 December) about the title race, O’Hara said: “When it comes to the end of the season, right, after Christmas, Man City keep banging in goals, and putting teams to the sword…
“Let’s see. At the moment, you’re two points top, and you can’t take anything away from what you’ve done, but if I were an Arsenal fan, I would be worried about the fact that we’re not killing teams off.“
Arteta’s side created an xG (Expected Goals) of 2.73 to the Eagles’ 0.91 [FotMob], but with just seconds left on the clock, Guehi popped up unmarked inside the six-yard area, forcing the game to penalties.
Mikel Arteta fortunate not to give away points in the Premier League
Had that been in the Premier League, the Gunners would have had to settle for a single point at home, and with the Citizens winning all of their last seven games, the top spot would have been up for grabs.
Arteta is under pressure to lift silverware, having only won a single trophy – the FA Cup – since his arrival in December 2019, with his lack of winning instinct even separating some supporters.
The Gunners have had chances before to pip their biggest rivals to the Premier League title, but they have always petered off towards the end or slipped up in dramatic style.
Of course, Aston Villa‘s rise adds a totally different dimension to the situation, but more and more supporters are beginning to feel that the title is now Man City’s to lose.