When 2022 ended and we entered 2023, most Gooners thought this would be their year. The Gunners started 2023 as league leaders, and the goal was that they could keep pushing until they won the league title in May.
That wasn’t possible due to injuries and failing to win when they needed to win, like in the games in April (against Liverpool 2-2, Southampton 3-3, and West Ham 2-2), causing them to miss out on the 2022–23 league title by 5 points.
Having said that, they are in another title race. After dealing with West Ham and Fulham in the next few days, they should be at the top of the table at the start of 2024. Then comes the difficult task of maintaining the title chase.
So do you believe this Arsenal team has what it takes to sustain the title charge and eventually win the league based on what you’ve seen from them so far? I certainly hope so, as I’ve had my usual bet on both The Arsenal Men and the Arsenal Women to both win the title this season in a double. As i always do my bets on football betting at Betiton Ireland they can expect to be paying me out a nice little sum at the end of the season.
I have been given extra confidence when listening to Ian Ladyman, the football editor of Mail Sport, who believes 2024 could be Arsenal’s year. He claims the Gunners now have great mental strength, which some claimed they lacked last season, that they have what it takes to sustain the Premier League title chase, and that they are hungrier this time around.
He believes Arsenal are the true Premier League title contenders, something he does not see in Manchester City at the moment. Notably, Ladyman believes Arsenal has become wiser in making tiny tactical moves that influence the game, as well as having a reliable defence, which is an ideal basis for a title push.
“I see a greater mental strength about Arsenal this season,” Ladyman said on Its All Kicking Off podcast. “They’ve got stickability. I think they’ve trained on from last year.
“They were very close last year, and if we can see that Man City are not quite the team they were last year, then that tells you that it could be very close.
“To me right now, I’d say that if I was going to pick a real challenger, it would be Arsenal. I’m surprised that I’m saying that. I didn’t expect it.
“I just look at Arsenal, and I see a team that stepped up from last season.
“We’ve talked about the fact that they’re meaner across the back. I think they’re smarter. I think they’ve got a little bit more devil about them.
“I think they do the slightly dirtier parts of the game better, and, you know, not necessarily to sing the praises of things like little tactical fouls, but Manchester City have been doing it for years.
“Just to explain, a tactical foul is generally accepted to be one of those that, maybe a trip on a breaking play or a little obstruction, or a tug of the shirt. All top teams do it.”
I was encouraged when I first heard Ladyman’s admissions concerning Arteta and the boys and I hope they instill confidence in all of us Gooners as we approach 2024, and the least we can expect is another exciting 5 months of great football from The Arsenal and hopefully a trophy or two at the end of it.
COYG!
We have more depth this season. Last season we ran out of steam and had a couple of crucial injuries. That undid us.
Maybe we can go all the way this year.
I still see City as favourites though.
YES Pat I too read that article by the widely respected Ian Ladyman.
But though I essentially DO agree with him, I still see a lack of KEY PLAYER REAL DEPTH in OUR squad when compared to Citys.
I still make City the likely title winners, as do the bookies too,unsurprisingly.
certainly NEED great fortune with avoiding injuries to our KEY remaining fit players in the second half of the season.
IF, and it is an IF, that happens, then yes we have a REAL chance. But NOT OTHERWISE imo!
I’d like to think our mentality has improved.
It can’t be aimed at the players this season that they are inexperienced. Far from it, I’d say. The inability to keep our position last season could rightly have been attributed to lack of experience and those players now know what is required to win. They are a year older and in Rice we actually have a European trophy winner.
Arteta will have learnt some important lessons as well.
Whether mentality alone will get us across the line, I don’t know. There are too many unknowns- injuries, cup runs at home and in Europe to focus on. City may well come in on the rails, but it’s more than a 2 horse race this time.
We won’t know if our team has better mental strength until it gets closer to the end of the season. That’s when the pressure will be must intense and when weakness in that area will be exposed. We had some great victories and clutch performances in the middle of last season as well – it all looked great until it didn’t.
Keeping Saliba Gab and Rice fit will be huge because them together help make us look mentally tougher. If one of them falls then we have a big problem as we can’t rely on Tomiyasu’s fitness. Arteta even tried Rice at CB to see if there’s a fix later on, maybe when we get Partey back was in his thinking. Other than them Saka is probably our most mentally tough, burnout is his kryptonite but he’s strong mentally which gets him through -he’s a difference-maker even in the worst of times. And the way all our players do a lot of off-the-ball work that too helps to make us look mentally tough. I do believe we look tougher this season
Arteta has created a style/system to gather points. It has to prove, it can stand up to pressure. It hasn’t so far. This season tweaks are still needed to achieve the goal and stand up to pressure.
I disagree.
The Arteta style/system is amongst the best in the world for dealing with pressure. However, systems alone do not win championships.
Funny David, i thought you had to win something to prove its the best in the world. What a baseless statement.
Sorry, does style /system have anything to do with handling pressure cuz am confused. I’d thought handling pressure comes from experience and mentality or while system or style is how the team is organized…. Just my opinion though…
No, it tells you if you style and system are robust. Pressure tests your resolve and stability.