Arsenal might not be in contention for the English Premier League title race anymore after a string of poor results and lack of motivation at the end of a very long EPL 2024-2025 season. However, this doesn’t mean that Mikel Arteta is giving up on his players and the dream.
He has made it very clear through recent press conferences and post-match interviews that he will have his team physically, mentally, and psychologically prepared for a huge battle in the last couple of weeks of this thrilling season.
But, have they left it a little too late? Let’s see if he can motivate his squad to finish strong and hold off title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool from reclaiming the coveted first-place spot.
Mikel Arteta Aims for Arsenal To Stay on Top of the EPL Table for the Rest of the Season
Mikel Arteta has been nominated for the @PremierLeague Manager of the Month 🙌
Well done to to the boss and his staff ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 26, 2023
The Premier League is slowly coming to a close, with only five games left to play for most teams on the table. Arsenal has five games left and they currently sit at the top of the ladder, just a few points ahead of the ever-close Manchester City and Liverpool who sit in 3rd and 2nd, respectively.
Liverpool had their top spot taken from them after a poor result against Crystal Palace and a lack of concentration in recent games. Liverpool and Manchester City were both involved in European football in recent weeks, with City in the Champions League and Liverpool knocked out of the Europa League competition. Because of this, they have more game time, less recovery, and more nagging injuries in their squad.
This opens the door for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal FC to bust their way through and stay in the number one spot leading into the final match days of the season.
Looking forward, Arsenal just played Chelsea FC and delivered a thrashing that I think no one saw coming. Although Chelsea had injuries and key players were missing from their squad, like Palmer and Chilwell, they should have been able to put up a better fight. Chelsea still had Gallagher, Caicedo, Silva, Sterling, and Cucurella on the field, who no doubt should have pulled one back against the Gunners.
But, Arsenal proved to be too strong. Ben White, L. Trossard, K. Havertz, Saka, and Declan Rice all had fantastic games, with Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho coming on as subs to make a difference later in the game. Arsenal had a whopping 27 shots on target versus Chelsea’s measly seven shots, with only one on the frame – a stat that Mikel Arteta can be happy about.
Also Read: Barcelona President Calls for 3-2 El Clasico Replay If Disastrous VAR Error Is Proved
Arsenal Looking Forward
In their upcoming matches, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal face off against Tottenham and Bournemouth next. Tottenham currently sits in fifth place and is trying to hold onto the coveted fifth spot so they can have a chance to play European football next year. Newcastle is in sixth and close on their tail with 50 points, so the Spurs desperately need to beat the Gunners to earn 63 points and edge their way closer to fourth place.
Next, Bournemouth is sitting in the lower half of the table after playing 33 games this year. That should no doubt be one of Arsenal’s easier games toward the back end of the season, earning them another 3 points before going into the final matches of the year.
On the other hand, Liverpool plays Everton today and Manchester City plays Brighton. Although stranger things have happened, these should be easy three points for these two teams.
If the top three sides all earn three points from match day 29, the title race will still be well and truly on. Let’s see if Mikel Arteta can lead his side to victory.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
