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The good times are finally back at the Emirates as Arsenal continue their stride towards securing a Premier League top-four finish. The Gunners have been completely out of European competition this season, a rare occurrence that happened after 26 years. But that has played to their advantage.
Their early exit from the FA Cup has further allowed them to focus their undivided attention on the English top-flight and securing Champions League football. Arsenal have now won five games in a row in the league with their latest 2-0 win against Leicester City at the Emirates on Sunday.
Arsenal are currently fourth in the Premier League with 50 points
The Gunners are in pole position to claim fourth spot in the points table. They have three games in hand over their close rivals Manchester United and West Ham United while one over Tottenham Hotspur.
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However, it is still a very close race to bet on. There are rarely any easy wins in the Premier League when the competition is so cut throat.
It might sound pessimistic at this point, but Arsenal's victories have not been entirely convincing as they haven't really dominated games. They have learnt how to grind out victories, but is that enough to make the top-four in the Premier League?
With everyone enjoying the vibes at the Emirates and in north London, we take a look at the other side of the coin. Here are four reasons why Arsenal might fail to secure the top-four in the Premier League.
#4 Mikel Arteta's inexperience and a rather inexperienced squad
Let's get the more controversial point out of the way first, shall we? Mikel Arteta has himself confessed at times in his post-match interviews that Arsenal are an inexperienced squad and their naivety is reflected in tense moments. Fortunately, they have developed a habit of clinging on to even the slimmest of advantages, which is admirable.
However, in their recent games against Watford and Brentford, they have conceded late goals. This has put them in a desperate spot to defend at the end of the game.
Since the Spaniard took charge of proceedings at the Premier League club, no other club in the division has received as many red cards (15) as them.
With just three months into 2022, Arteta's young side have already earned four red cards. All of them have been issued for unwarranted actions and could have been avoided.
The mood at the Emirates and in the Arsenal squad is great right now. Everyone's probably forgotten about these silly mistakes, but moments like these are always lurking.
The north London club also have a less experienced manager than their rivals who have some big names. Arch rivals Tottenham have got serial winner Antonio Conte who has the experience of helping teams finish at the top. David Moyes has transformed West Ham into a really dangerous side with his astute management.
Ralf Rangnick has his own challenges at Manchester United, but in his 19 games in charge, at least they have only lost two games. Arteta has never really been involved in a close race like this with the stakes running so high. The Gunners faithful will hope that having the youngest squad and manager in the Premier League do not cost them the Champions League.
#3 Lack of a match-winner who can change the tide of the game in their favor
One of the biggest positives for the north London club this season has been their unity. Arteta has been talking about establishing a healthy and conducive culture at the club which runs on principles of discipline, commitment and passion. These elements have been evidently present in their recent performances.
The signings of Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard last summer have also brought a vocal presence to the team. These are strong characters who have led from the front and guided their teammates on the pitch. They have defended very well as a unit and have overcome challenges together. However, there is not one name in the Arsenal squad that the opposition will outrightly be scared of.
Their competitors, however, have plenty of them. The Red Devils have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Meanwhile, Spurs have Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. They have time and again proved their match-winner qualities in big games.
Kane played a big part in Tottenham's win against Manchester City. Ronaldo single-handedly helped his team beat Spurs in a crucial six-pointer thriller in the Premier League.
Compared to these sides, the Gunners rely heavily on team performances. When they play well, the majority of the team is in the groove, but when they are bad, they are bad collectively.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departed in January for Barcelona and Arsenal missed out on signing Dusan Vlahovic. Hence, they do not have a game changer in their squad who can bail them out on a bad day.
#2 Thin squad with little depth
One look at all the teams involved in the top-four race and it is not difficult to spot that the Gunners have lesser options available on the bench. They do not have the luxury of resting players even when they play a team in the relegation zone. Not that any other team is doing such a thing, but Spurs and United clearly have the option to rotate with more freedom.
In a way, this is Arteta's own doing to some extent. He allowed as many as six first-team players to leave mid-season in the January transfer window on loan and permanent deals. With Takehiro Tomiyasu out on the sidelines, Cedric has been a reliable cover for him at right-back. But the Japanese is way more solid defensively than his backup.
Similarly, Emile Smith Rowe, who has been their top scorer this season (10), has only got one start in the last five Premier League games. He has missed two games due to fitness issues. Nicolas Pepe hasn't contributed enough goals or assists either and the same is the case with Eddie Nketiah.
So effectively, except for their starting 11, no one from the bench contributes anything significant. With 12 games still left to play in the Premier League, the Arsenal faithful will be praying that none of their regulars miss any of those games.
#1 Comparatively tougher list of fixtures
The Gunners will play an important six-pointer in the Premier League against United (April 23rd) and Tottenham (TBD) to secure Champions League football next season. However, if we take these fixtures away, Arteta's men have a comparatively difficult hurdle course in front of them.
As mentioned earlier, the momentum is with them having won five games in a row. Losing that hard-earned momentum will be fatal at this point. So their next fixture against Liverpool on March 16th couldn't have come at a worse time. Jurgen Klopp and his men visit the Emirates mid-week and are themselves involved in a title race with Manchester City.
The Reds are on an eight-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and have scored 17 goals in that period, conceding only four times. The Gunners also have a game left against Chelsea, which was postponed earlier in February. They will also play the Blues, West Ham and Spurs all away from home.
In short, building momentum from this point onwards will be very tough for Arteta's young side, who will not get time to rest and take a breather.
