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The 2023/2024 season marks exactly two decades since the North-London red last gazed at the most prestigious prize in English football.
Backtrack to 2003/2004, Arsene Wenger’s formidable side set an eternal record going all the way to the premier league title in the first ever invincible campaign on record.
The French gaffer’s side boasting the likes of Thierry Henry, Denis Bergkamp, Jens Lehmann, Nwankwo Kanu amongst others recorded 90 points across the referred campaign and taking no loses across the 38 game season.
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That successful outing has been followed by twenty years of endearing proximity to another title, dejections and absolutely horrendous campaigns as the Gunners have attempted to get hands on that trophy with and post Arsene Wenger.
The 2022/2023 season under Mikel Arteta unarguably has been the closest in that period — the gaffer who himself played under the remarkable Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal FC were on track for pretty much the entirety of the campaign before gradually losing pace after the turn of the year to Pep Guardiola’s prying Manchester City.
Arteta’s side consequentially settled for the runner-up spot, finishing five points behind Manchester City having previously had a comfortable lead in first place all along.
Now speeding up to this campaign, Arsenal find themselves in a three way battle with highly motivated Liverpool FC and defending champions Manchester City for league glory.
Since the turn of the year, the club has been on cruise control taking all 24 points available over their first eight fixtures with 33 goals scored and just 4 conceded.
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While the title race bodes to be an interesting one, the club really do look like they’ve enough in their arsenal to go for glory this time out.
Why could Arsenal go all the way?
Last campaign, Arsenal’s season collapse followed the injury to highly rated French defender William Saliba and with a lack of quality depth seeing Rob Holding take his place in the lineup.
This season, Arteta properly stacked up over the summer with the arrivals of Jurrien Timber from the Eredivise, Kai Havertz from London rivals Chelsea, goalkeeper David Raya on loan from Brentford and club record signing Declan Rice from West Ham United.
Jurrien Timber continues to find a way back to fitness after his unfortunate injury early in the season.
Kai Havertz found form tough to come by early on but has since repaid Mikel Arteta’s faith dropping quality performances as the club’s new top man. Raya has deposed Aaron Ramsdale to become the club’s number one.
And most importantly the man in form Declan Rice, his arrival has given the club the extra edge needed the whole while with the constant injury issues to Thomas Partey.
The last summer window was one the club totally made the right decisions and has equipped for the wonderful season they’ve commanded thus far.
The run-in
Asides quality players, form and an outstanding manager, another aspect of Premier League title races involves experience and the mental factor to see it through the line.
Over the years, Jurgen Klopp and Josep Guardiola’s sides have gone toe-to-toe in title battles with two different campaigns seeing the Merseyside reds miss out on just one point.
Now defending champions Manchester City certainly know how to navigate this period and under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage, they would expectedly leave no stone unturned in this regard.
Liverpool on the other hand will lose the services of gaffer Klopp over the summer and have more than all to play for to give a deserved sendforth.
Despite the injury crisis at the club’s helm, they’ve still managed to navigate the past two months to remain relevant in the title race. In a question of mentality, they’re certainly up there and will be ready for whatever the next couple of months entail.
As such, Mikel Arteta’s side most definitely need to tick every box if they look to pip these sides to glory. In this regard, there is no quality experience per say to help them ride out this storm and hence it falls on the small contingent of leadership to help navigate the club out of perilous waters.
Should Mikel Arteta lead the club all the way, he would end a 20 year drought period for the club and become the first manager since Wenger to cart home one with Arsenal — also picking up his very first as head coach of a topflight club.
There’s all to play for over the next couple of weeks and certainly this might be the most electric title race the Premier League has ever seen.
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