Five reasons why Arsenal have what it takes to win Premier League this season
Arsenal may have finally proved they have the minerals to stand toe-to-toe with Manchester City, and even beat them, after a huge three points on Sunday.
The Gunners ended an eight-year league wait to finally beat City as super-sub Gabriel Martinelli’s goal won the game with just five minutes left. The Brazilian’s strike took a huge deflection off Nathan Ake before nestling in the back of the net and blowing the roof off the Emirates.
Arsenal fans, and maybe even players and Mikel Arteta alike, now believe they have what it takes to go one better than last season and finally end their 20-year wait for a Premier League title as they climbed above the champions and level on points with Tottenham at the top of the table. Here are five reasons why Arsenal have what it takes to win the league this season.
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Finally beating City
The turning point in the title race last year saw City win 3-1 at the Emirates in February before all-but sealing the league with a 4-1 thrashing of the Gunners at the Etihad in April. But Martinelli’s winner saw the Gunners finally topple City for the first time in the league since December 2015.
While Spurs remain joint top of the table, City will still be seen as the favourites to challenge the Gunners come May given their dominance last season and throughout the years under Pep Guardiola. But the result shows that Arsenal can now take on and beat the champions in a huge mental victory.
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So many goalscorers
There have been a lot of questions asked regarding Eddie Nketiah’s ability to fire Arsenal to a Premier League title, alongside the reliability of Gabriel Jesus as a world-class goalscorer. But Martinelli’s goal on Sunday saw him become the ninth player to score a league goal for the Gunners this season in just eight games.
Bukayo Saka leads the way on five, with his absence from the squad seen as a huge blow for Arteta’s side. But the returning Martinelli netted his first goal of the season and proved the Gunners have enough goals throughout the squad to burden for a drop in form of Nketiah and Jesus.
Last-gasp winners
A hallmark of a title-winning side is late goals to win games and salvage points, and Arsenal have proved already this season they have the mentality to do exactly that.
Martinelli’s late winner follows on from an injury-time winner from Declan Rice against Manchester United in September. Showing Arsenal have that threat in them to still win points in the dying embers of games, and in two huge match-ups respectively.
Quality in the squad
Saka’s absence due to suffering hamstring, thigh and Achilles problems already this season left many wondering whether Arsenal had enough to cope without their star man in the biggest game of the season.
Saka’s absence saw Jesus and Nketiah start together with Leandro Trossard on the left, leaving a bench with Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and £65million summer signing Kai Havertz. The options that Arteta now has to call upon even without Saka, leave Arsenal in a good place to manage rotation for Champions League games and cover for any injuries.
Declan Rice
Signing of the summer? Rice’s £105million fee already looks a bargain. The midfielder has added an assuring presence to what at time last season was a chaotic midfield with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey both falling in and out of form and favour.
Rice’s ability to run the midfield from deeper positions and even find himself in goalscoring positions, such as his winner against United in September, makes him vital to Arteta who may have found the final piece of the jigsaw.
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