We have the ability, it’s about the mentality now. by Konstantin Mitov
Well lovely Arsenal people, we are back atop of the premier league table, thanks to Liverpool failing to beat an awful Man Utd side. The mentality I’m trying to force upon myself is ‘one game at a time’. There are loads of encouraging signs – best defence, best attack, best goal difference but we are still only above Liverpool thanks to the latter, which shows the levels of this league.
I’ve seen a great Liverpool team lose the title on the final day and lose the CL final in the same season, so I’m not counting my chickens. Our run-in is the most difficult. City, who people forget, lurk only a point behind, which is scary enough looking at their history in title run-ins. They also have a pretty easy run-in bar a trip to Tottenham. A lot can happen in a week of football, let alone in 7 games, but if any of the team wins all 7, you cannot deny that they ultimately deserve to win it. If that will be us is no longer a question of can we, rather it’s will we?
In this day and age where the media keeps looking for the most scandalous headlines and everything is over-analysed to the max, the narrative changes with each game. After we drew with City, everyone said, ‘it’s Liverpools title to lose’. Easy run in, United are poor, Klopp is leaving etc.
Now it’s suddenly Arsenal’s, we’re top, we haven’t done it in 20 years, we failed last season, did we learn the lesson, etc. One thing is certain though, the pressure to win games is bigger when you are spearheading the charge. You could see it in the Brentford game, before City drew with Liverpool, the chance to go top and hold destiny in our own hands and suddenly after 1 mistake, it became a hard second half. Liverpool on Sunday as well, obviously the better team, missed a bunch of chances and in the end they needed a dodgy penalty to earn a draw.
I can’t make a prediction of what will happen, I just assume Liverpool and City will win every time, and I try to focus only on us winning our own games. I hope that this is a lesson we’ve learned from the past 2 years, where we had a clear objective, even had a cushion, yet fell short. This time I think the fact that we’re still in the CL is a massive boost. Even though it’s Bayern Munich and there are ghosts of the past that need to be banished.
We’re the favourites now. How the tables have turned hey? We’re top of our league, Bayern are not winning their standard league title, and it’s CL or bust for them. It will not be an easy game, even though a lot of people expect us to just smoke them. They won’t have away fans too, but you cannot discount their experience. Like I mentioned Liverpool and United earlier, the better team doesn’t always win.
I want to warn you about the possible narratives that can come out. If we beat Bayern it will be “Bayern are not great at the moment”, but if they beat us, the labels will come “chokers”, “bottlers”, etc. You can’t win with the haters, but the fact we’re in everybodys mouth means we are doing something right. I just hope the players can keep their heads clean of this and keep focused only on the next game and see where we end up.
If we could win one of the two trophies, I would take it any way we could do it. At this stage of the season ugly 1-0 wins, thrashings, lucky penalties, as long as we lift something at the end I’ll take it. But I firmly believe that performances dictate results long term. That’s why when United went 2-1 up I didn’t think they’d win. Chaos is their game, they concede 15-20 shots per game. That’s not sustainable. Liverpool have won too many games right at the end, MacAlister has hit a few screamers, like against Fulham and Sheffield, this can’t happen every game.
That’s why I was really impressed with our Brighton performance. We went to a team that hans’t lost at home since September and won 3-0. Raya really had one good save to make all game. I was more worried with that second half against Luton, but in the end we rotated a lot and got the 3 points. It’s about the nerves now.
City can go on a 7/7 run, they’ve done it before. When Palace scored an early goal against them, they upped their level. Can we do it? We haven’t been behind on the scoresheet in 2024, apart from the Porto away game, and that goal was with the last kick of the game. When we face adversity, what will our reaction be?
We’ll see, but the next 6 weeks will be absolutely mad!
Konstantin
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It’s going to be tense and exciting. What a treat for the fans. They have to keep the one-game-at-a-time mentality.
With a fully fit squad (excluding Timber) we will definitely be there about. Our mentality has improved and the confidence is there, however, football is a ‘funny old game’ and there will definitely be twists and turns. It’s in our hands, but it remains one game at a time, rinse and repeat.
I did not think with our run in that we would win the League. The Brighton game changed my mind as I thought we were superb against a really tough opponent.It has given me confidence that we can do it especially as we have the best defence in the league.
Sure we do, now here is where, Partey, Jesus, Rice, Saka Havertz and company must dip their bread.
Konstatin. It has been quite some times you’ve not written.
So, how are you? I hope you are doing well.
If I tell you that Arsenal will win both the Epl and Ucl titles this season. I want you to believe me. And I am using the JustArsenal medium to now tell you that Arsenal will beat all comers to the Epl and Ucl wins this season. This is because it is their turn to win the duo major titles. And they will undoubtedly win them both this season. Irrespective of whose Ox is gore on the Gunners ways to win them will not concern them.
For, all that Arsenal are interested in and strongly committed to see it comes to pass is to win those two major titles. And win them they will this season unfailingly.
Talking of Arsenal now being deemed as the favourites to win the title this season, with 7 games ledtback to play in the run-in. Yes! Arsenal are now truly the favourites to win the title on or before the season’s end. This has come about because they are now in control of the league as they sit atop of it. So, it is in their hans to win it. And I believe they won’t let it slip off their hands that will allow Liverpool or Man City to win it. NAY! The Gunners will hold on very tightly to it to win it and win it unfailingly.
And talking of if us Arsenal have the mentality that will see us through successfully during the run-in to win the title this season.
Yes! Us Arsenal have the endearing mentality capacity that can see us through successfully during the run-in to win the title and win it unfailingly.
In the Ucl which ShOULD be our focus as of now. Arsenal have the vast capacity in game playing performance to beat Bayern Munchen resoundingly well at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow night. And beat them resoundingly well in the march would the Gunners do.
We have a chance, but favourites? No.
The neutral verdict is City have a 40% chance/probability of winning, and Liverpool and Arsenal 30% each.
I agree, especially as we have a more difficult series of games compared to MC. Arsenal have a better chance now but we are clearly not favourites.
However, a more important point is that the games still need to be played. All we can do is try to win each game and we’ll see how the season ends.
The Premier league title is coming to the Emirates, rest assured.
Firstly , overall a fine article with great optimism. We are however NOT the bookies favourites which is fact, whatever the writer may personally believe.
It could de argued I feel, that we OUGHT TO BE FAVOURITES, BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT.
My view is that, contrary to the writer’s, it is a handicap in our title chase to be so involved inTWO key competitions.
The risk of injury and also fatigue to our key players ; which are Saka, Odegaard, Saliba, Gabriel and Rice , are far more likely as we are in BOTH comps Were we not in th CL, I would give us a far higher chance of winning the Prem, so I profoundly reject Konstntins view that being in both helps us.
I would ask him to explain WHY he thinks that, esp as he chose not to say why!
Merely stating a personal opinion but WITHOUT giving a reason, is not a wise thing for any writer to do, IMO.
My other point is that of the other nineteen Prem teams, all bar five have conceded more than double our own mere 24. That includes even Villa with 49 conceded.
My personal belief is that, provided we avoid injuries to ALL the key players I listed, we OUGHT to win the Prem, as we are not letting in goals and scoring in virtually all our games.
The biggest risk to us IMO is those injuries and falling between two stalls by going a long way in the CL.
Personally, I would not be heartbroken if we lose to BM, provided we do NOT pick up injuries.
I much prefer to win the PREM to the CL, though I recognise other Gooners will differ.
We’ll see. Jus sayin…🤔
I worry about two away games in UTD and spurs, even 4 points out of this is not enough. As mighty city are winning all games, but let try and see where we end up.