{"id":620704,"date":"2023-01-02T12:00:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T17:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=620704"},"modified":"2023-01-02T11:56:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T16:56:22","slug":"reasons-arsenal-could-win-the-premier-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/01\/02\/reasons-arsenal-could-win-the-premier-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Top of the League: Reasons Why Arsenal Can Win This Season\u2019s Premier League"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal currently sit seven points clear of Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League after sixteen games, and the Gunners are in an extremely strong position to potentially lift the coveted trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Whether you are an Arsenal believer or think that\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/12\/16\/arsenal-january-window-activity-mikel-arteta\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mikel Arteta<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8216;s side will eventually fall away, here are the key reasons why the Gunners may clinch the Premier League title this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal Can Win the 2022\/23 Premier League Title<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Arsenal will end 2022 top of the Premier League \ud83d\udcc8 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kwnb9zNMoN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/kwnb9zNMoN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; GOAL (@goal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/goal\/status\/1607522899564367872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Attacking Fluidity<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is well documented that Arsenal lack a traditional twenty-goal-a-season striker, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last passing that mark when he scored\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/talksport.com\/football\/efl\/571479\/stats-record-premier-league-goal-striker-paul-pogba-manchester-united\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">22 league goals in the 2018-19 season<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Prior to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/12\/19\/greatest-world-cup-final-football\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">World Cup<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, summer signing Gabriel Jesus had endured a frustrating goal drought for the North London club &#8211; failing to score in his last six Premier League appearances. Whilst Eddie Nketiah is yet to prove himself as a reliable source of goals for the side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, what Arsenal do have is incredible fluidity in attack, which allows their entire front line to get amongst the goals. Not only does this lower the burden for the strikers, but also makes Mikel Arteta&#8217;s side much harder to shut out. Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Jesus have all scored 5+ league goals this season, representing the threat they have from all angles of the attacking third.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the wake of Jesus&#8217; injury, which will see him sidelined for a\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/12\/05\/gabriel-jesus-injury-arsenal-three-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">reported three months<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, many have questioned whether this fluidity can be maintained with Nketiah leading the line. Their recent victories against West Ham and Brighton and Hove Albion suggest that it can. The front three all scored in both games, whilst their playmaker, Odegaard, also registered three assists and one goal in that time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If Nketiah can maintain his form, then the fluidity of Arsenal&#8217;s attack will continue to cause many teams a serious problem for the remainder of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/12\/30\/peles-best-moments\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pele\u2019s Best Moments \u2013 The Events that Defined a Legend<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Defensive Solidity<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal&#8217;s defence can finally be relied upon once again. It has been some time since that has been the case, but some clever signings, combined with effective coaching, have elevated the Gunners&#8217; backline.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Without question, a key reason for this is the long-awaited introduction of William Saliba into the starting eleven. The 21-year-old has been a revelation and has finally allowed Arteta to deploy an effective high line, with his partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes providing the Gunners with an almost perfect combination of pace, power and aggression at the back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That pace and power is supplemented by the intelligence and ball-playing ability of both Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The pair&#8217;s ability to play on the front foot as inverted full-backs strengthens the defence. They allow Arsenal&#8217;s midfield to gain greater control in the middle of the park, and in turn, this limits the number of counter-attacks the opposition can string together, which allows Saliba, Gabriel and most importantly, Aaron Ramsdale, more often than not, enjoy fairly comfortable games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The saying goes: &#8216;attack is the best form of defence&#8217;, and this Arsenal side embodies that perfectly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Well-Balanced Midfield<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal usually dominate the midfield battle in their fixtures, and this is down to a variety of factors. As mentioned, the use of Zinchenko and White as inverted full-backs is a huge reason for this. However, Arsenal&#8217;s midfield three of Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are even more important in this regard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When fully fit, as he has been this season, Partey is one of the best defensive midfielders in the league. He is excellent at breaking up the play and is competent enough to play with the ball in tight situations. When he is missing, the Gunners become much weaker as proven in their sole defeat this season where the Ghanaian was missing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/12\/30\/chelsea-benfica-enzo-fernandez-manchester-united-liverpool\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chelsea Ready to Beat Liverpool and Manchester United for \u00a3100+ Million Star<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Then there is Xhaka, who has undergone an i<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/09\/16\/granit-xhaka-mikel-arteta-arsenal\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ncredible transformation this season<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Previously ridiculed by rival fans, the Swiss international has recorded a return of three goals and four assists this season. To the surprise of many, he has become an incredibly effective box-to-box midfielder, and Arsenal are a far better side as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Finally, there is the icing on the cake &#8211; Odegaard. The Norwegian possesses an amazing passing range, much like Mesut Ozil, who came before him, but, unlike the German, combines his technical ability with a terrific work rate off the ball. These two attributes allow the 24-year-old to recycle possession quickly, escape the opposition&#8217;s press, thread intricate through balls and win the ball back for his team. Given his young age, Odegaard is only likely to improve further, and Arsenal will dominate games more often as he does so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"11FvctUvSPpzSSnp35mhkQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/111976410\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'11FvctUvSPpzSSnp35mhkQ',sig:'UGGnBOnmLsVBYiy4eoQakZW41GyC7u5EKQynS84JkrQ=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'111976410',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Will Arsenal Pip Manchester City to the Premier League Title?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As Liverpool have found out over the last five years, Manchester City are nothing short of relentless. Pep Guardiola demands perfection from his players, and they seem to deliver on a domestic basis every season. The arrival of Erling Haaland, who has already scored twenty Premier League goals this season, only makes the blue side of Manchester an even more dangerous side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Gunners will likely need north of ninety points to clinch the title, which is a difficult ask. However, Arteta and his players have demonstrated so far that they certainly have the ability to sweep aside the majority of the teams in the league, and if they can continue to do so for the remainder of the season, aided by their already-established seven-point advantage over Manchester City, then Arsenal just may win the Premier League.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arsenal currently sit seven points clear of Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League after sixteen games, and the Gunners are in an extremely strong position to potentially lift the coveted trophy. Whether you are an Arsenal believer or think that\u00a0Mikel Arteta&#8216;s side will eventually fall away, here are the key reasons why [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4305,"featured_media":620791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[380,3911,3216,3276],"class_list":["post-620704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-premier-league","category-arsenal","tag-granit-xhaka","tag-martin-odegaard","tag-oleksandr-zinchenko","tag-thomas-partey"],"modified_by":"Ricky Carroll, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4305"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}