Arsenal are already nine points behind Liverpool in the Premier League and four behind Manchester City, making their quest to win the title much trickier than most would have expected at this stage of the season.
Liverpool are flying, and there is little reason to believe they will drop off anytime soon. Meanwhile, you would expect City to steady the ship after consecutive league losses. This makes it imperative for Arsenal to secure maximum points from their upcoming Premier League games. But what are the chances of that?
Here are Arsenal’s next six league fixtures:
- Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
- West Ham vs. Arsenal
- Arsenal vs. Manchester United
- Fulham vs. Arsenal
- Arsenal vs. Everton
- Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
Looking at these matches, it’s not unreasonable to suggest Arsenal could collect 18 points. In fact, it’s difficult to pinpoint which of these games they might drop points in. Let’s analyse them one at a time.
Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest are performing admirably at the moment and proved against Liverpool that they aren’t intimidated by big teams or big venues. However, anything less than a win at the Emirates would be a disappointment.
West Ham vs. Arsenal
The Hammers are always tricky opponents and, on their day, capable of beating anyone. Last season’s win against Arsenal was an outlier, though, and given West Ham’s current form, Arsenal should feel confident about securing all three points at the London Stadium.
Arsenal vs. Manchester United
It’s hard to predict which United side will show up under their new manager, but Arsenal will be disappointed not to take maximum points at the Emirates. Dropping points here would feel like a significant setback.
Fulham vs. Arsenal
This could be the toughest of the six games. Fulham are playing well and are formidable at home. Arsenal should win, but if they underperform, another away loss could be on the cards.
Arsenal vs. Everton
Everton appear to be stabilising, but they remain vulnerable, and a defeat here would be inexcusable for Arsenal. This is a game they simply must win.
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
Palace are unpredictable; they can produce moments of brilliance but too often deliver inconsistent performances. While Selhurst Park is never an easy place to play, Arsenal should expect to take all three points.
Conclusion
I expect Arsenal to pick up 18 points from these six games. Anything less would be disappointing and could spell the end of their title hopes, depending on how Liverpool and Manchester City perform in their upcoming fixtures.
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
They could..of course…pick up 18 points but unless they start playing at a greater tempo and get less profligate in front of goal…they will end up dropping more points.. More points at this stage…that they can ill afford.Obviously a newly managed United away and Fulham away would appear to offer the most difficult opposition..But any Premier League match where Arsenal are not playing at their best and the opposition are..whether defensively or offensively…could lead to further disappointment.
At this stage it’s necessary for Arteta to stop blaming what’s gone before and lay out a more constructive plan before and during each game and make sure that this team.can build momentum once again as they illustrated do well at the end of last Season.
Yes, I agree with that. Getting a new coach (or having confirmation that the current one is staying after all – as in City’s case) can often lead to an improvement in form so we’ll see.
Possibly 14, but it would be a surprise (to me, anyway) if they picked up the full 18 points.
My “Super–computer” is telling me that with the four pillars (Saliba,Odegaard.Saka and Havertz) free of injuries we can win them all.
We will win all 6 games and launch ourselves right back in the EPL winners race. Anything short and even the most passionate optimists would start writing our team off.
It depends on our injury concerns We need Saka and Rice at their best And Odegaard back to his best quickly with zero niggles At the back we are relying on some players with injury concerns too in Calafiori Timber and Tomiyasu, amazingly, Partey has played so many games So it depends as it does for all teams