It take an awful lot to win the Premier League title, as we Arsenal fans know all too well after failing to do so for the last 12 years. Quality and consistency are two of the main factors, of course, but involved with those are all sorts of other factors such as how many of the top players a team has to cope without due to injury and other issues and for how long.
If Arsenal are to win it this year them we need something to stop the momentum and consistency of Chelsea, who rode their luck once again to beat Hull City yesterday to stay eight points ahead of Arsenal, although we are now the closest team to the current leaders in the EPL table.
We will soon get a chance to put a dent in their progress ourselves but before that we have to make sure of all three points at home to Watford on Tuesday and I would not be surprised if it took another late goal from the Gunners to do it, as they have become something of a specialty for us this season.
The Panenka penalty from Alexis Sanchez was the latest, in both meanings of the word, coming in the 98th minute with just about the last kick of the game and earning an absolutely vital win, but there have been plenty more and a lot of them have been huge, like Giroud’s 86th minute winner against West Brom, his 92nd minute leveller at Bournemouth or the 89th minute one against Man United at Old Trafford.
One reason that Arsenal are getting late goals is the way that our games tend to pan out, with the opposition tiring towards the end after working hard to close us down without the ball, but that does not tell the whole story by any means.
What I think these late goals are showing is a great determination and the desire to succeed as well as the refusal to lie down and take defeat. This is the sign of a champion and I feel that it shows that the Gunners this season do have the mentality as well as the ability to go all the way.
The question now is whether Chelsea’s momentum and the injury situations of both clubs give the players a chance to prove it.
Bob.