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Preview: Will Arsenal’s next 5 League games define our season?

Arsenal’s next five League games can define their season

 

This statement has almost been overused by news websites on numerous occasions. But using this statement in the present climate seems fitting.

Arsenal travel to Burnley next weekend, and that game is quickly followed by two games against Olympiakos, with the Spurs game being sandwiched between the two ties. After that, they come up against their London rivals in Tottenham and West Ham.

The North-London outfit finally conclude their run of next five games against current league champions Liverpool.

Surprisingly, West Ham and Liverpool are scraping for the last Champions League spot this season.

Nobody would have thought that the usual relegation contenders West Ham and current league champions Liverpool would be fighting for the “last spot” of the Europe’s elite competition. But here we are in the strangest of seasons since the inception of the league in 1992.

Ask any Arsenal fan, whether they would have been happy by being just six points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men in the EPL table after 26 games, and the Arsenal faithful would have certainly nodded their head.

But the picture has somewhat played with the involved parties. Liverpool have endured a torrid season, as their title defense has been ripped to pieces in a matter of few months. Whereas the Gunners, six points behind the Reds, sit at tenth.

Burnley:

Starting against Burnley, the Gunners must see the game at Turf Moor as a must win. Three points against Sean Dyche’s men would be huge in their push for European football next season. If Arsenal end up losing, Mikel Arteta’s men will have a greater chance of ending gameweek 27 in the bottom half. They might have to fight a losing battle for the remainder of the campaign.

Olympiacos:

Arsenal just can’t afford to rue as many chances as they did against Benfica in the first leg of the round of 32 clash. Although the Portuguese side barely created a half-decent chance, they saw themselves leading 3-2 on aggregate with 25 minutes to go. Even though Mikel Arteta avoided a massive scare, Arsenal must learn from their mistakes.

The Greek side, who are 14 points clear at the top of the Greek Super League, boast better individual players in their ranks. They have better tools who can punish the North-London side to great effect. Arsenal fans would definitely be dreading a Sokratis’ winner in the last minute at the Emirates! You never know what you will get when you support Arsenal Football Club.

But a good result away from home can set them up perfectly for the return leg at home. They avoided some great teams like Spurs, Man United, Ajax and AC Milan in the round of 16. So, Arsenal should be expected to go ahead.

Tottenham:

The North-London derby is sandwiched between both sides’ Europa League matches. Jose Mourinho would be relishing to face Arsenal, a team that he has defeated 12 times in 22 encounters, losing just two.

This is a match what the football fans like to say a “six pointer.” Whoever wins, can possibly be the one more deserving of European football next season. Bragging rights and Champions League football will be on the line for this one.

West Ham:

David Moyes’ West Ham United have gatecrashed the Champions League places in the weirdest of seasons. They sit at fourth position, just five points behind second placed Manchester United and a point ahead Chelsea in fifth. Like Arsenal, The Hammers have a tough run of fixtures with matches against Leeds United, Arsenal, Wolves, Leicester, Chelsea and Everton. If Arsenal want themselves to be seriously considered for European football, matches of such importance should be termed as “must win.”

Liverpool:

The Champions defense of the Premier League title has, no doubt, gone horribly wrong. In their past five matches, the Merseyside club has won just one match. This might be a perfect time to play The Reds, given that they are nowhere close to their own level of the past two seasons. If Arsenal manage anything other than losing, they might become the dark horses for the qualification for Champions League.

Can Arsenal get to this point still with hope in our hearts?

Yash Bisht
Instagram/Twitter: @yarsenal09
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53 Comments

  1. Play Pepe and Cedric against Burnely. Can’t risk watching Saka getting kicked for 90 minutes.
    If we want to chase Europe through the league, then all 5 games must end in a solid W, but we are Arsenal, it might end up a disaster

    1. Hahahaha, Eddie! You got it spot on. Pepe and Martinelli can be two exciting players at Turf Moor. Both have the pace to exploit Burnley’s defense. I would go for Lacazette, Pepe on the left, and Martinelli. What about you?

      1. Pepe-Lacazette-Willian/Auba
        I want to see Martinelli play too but I’d prefer it be another game knowing how Burnley can send him packing back to the physio room

        1. 👍 👍 Pepe and Cedric Soares down the right side, Lacazette CF and Aubameyang and Tierney down the left with Odegaard in behind. Saka and ESR need to be put in cotton wool for the Burnley game.
          After Leicester City, notwithstanding their injury woes, I feel positive about these fixtures, if the right team is selected based on confident inform players.

  3. Burnley – W
    Olympiacos – W
    Spurs – D
    West Ham – D
    Liverpool – L

    I think we’ll likely end 7th/8th this season

        1. Thanks Kenya 🙂 I hope you’re right – I’d be happier with that, of course! I don’t see West Ham being easy.. or the spuds, but hey, you never know. This season has thrown up some crazy results!! Looking forward to it…

    2. Agreed with almost all predicted results, except the winnable West Ham game. Arteta surely knows his ex-boss’ tactics very well and Moyes would likely park the bus like what Rodgers did

      1. Whatever happens in the game against West Ham, I don’t want to see Lingard’s dance moves…

    4. Noooo we end at 4th or 5th
      Those others above have tough tests too and they will go down. Liverpool vs Chelsea will be a draw

    5. PJ-SA, if Arsenal can concentrate for a full 90+ minutes, without the defensive brain explosions (eg Aston Villa, Manchester United) and form players remein fit and are selected, there is nothing to say Arsenal can’t get a draw or win against Liverpool (given their injury toll) and wins against Spurs and West Ham. Arsenal players like Partey, Tierney etc staying fit will be critical.
      The season has shown that Manchester City’s current form apart, the season is unpredictable.

    1. Innit I love your positivity but I can. assure you we will not win a against Spurs we might draw but we will definitely lose at anfield.

    2. That would strengthen our aims of finishing in the top four. I hope your prediction comes true.

  6. Burnley – W
    Olympiacos – W
    Spurs – W
    West Ham – W
    Liverpool – W

    12 points in our pocket

  7. Every single game defines our season. And not only games played by Arsenal.

    I’ll be my usual negative self:

    Burnley – W
    Olympiacos – W
    Spurs – D
    WH – L
    Liverpool – D

    I still believe we’re not good enough against the low block. That’s why we might even draw against Burnley.

    I can’t put L in a game against scum, regardless of the situation in the season. I think they should have enough fire in them to at least draw in the NLD.

    And depending on injuries, we can lose against Liverpool. If they have enough decent players in their defense, it’s an L for sure.

    1. Crazily as it seems you might think with the way we lose to Liverpool constantly it’ll be a disgrace, but even Olympiacos have more wins at the Emirates than Liverpool and Spurs do.
      We usualy lose at Anfield and draw at home

  9. Whilst the next 5 games are important and I expect we will win 2 out of the 5. A look at the remaining fixtures would seem to me to be more relevant in terms of points. We have to play 6 of the teams currently in the bottom half of the league, 3 of which are fighting relegation. All these should, on paper at least, be winnable. We still have matches against Everton and Chelsea which could be the matches which decide our final position in the league.

  10. Burnley-W
    OLYMPIACOS~W
    Spurs~D
    OLympiacos-W
    West ham-W
    Liverpool-W

    Dont know why but am feeling excited and it has nothing to do with the leicester result

  11. I think we will win against Burnley and will get through to next round of Europa and we will get win against Spurs but only concern is West Ham and Liverpool…
    If we manage to get at least 9 Points of out of 12 and next round to Europa then we will be in Strong position..

    1. Sadly March has been our month for it regularly going pear shaped !

      We are.still not a street wise or tough team … Partey seems injured all the time which goes to show Arsenals strategy of last minute transfers always goes wrong because he didnt have a proper pre season.

      Lets not get our hopes up top high as we have lost 11 in the league already…its a clear indicator or the teams performances though the ability is cleay there.

      I think summer transfer window will help Arteta get nearer to his preferred team.

      Laca likely to leave plus poss Bellerin. Total of €50mn. Who should we spend that money on?

  12. This must be the eighth or ninth time over the last 5 months when an article was headed “The next … games will define our season” and it’s getting a bit stale, if was ever relevant anyway.
    Actually the whole season will define our season.

    Less lazy, incorrect headlines please!

  13. Burnley – W
    Olympiakos – D
    Tottenham – L
    Olympiakos – W
    West Ham – D
    Liverpool – L

    I predict 8 out of 24 possible points. But I hope we do better.

    I thought we would draw and lose against Benfica and Leicester respectively, the boys proved me wrong, so I want them to prove me wrong again.

    1. We wont lose against Tottenham
      That’s a win
      Wait and see.
      We wont lose liverpool either

  14. All are winnable so we should just take it one at a time and collect the points into the bag.

  15. Burnley -W
    Olympiakos-D
    Spurs -D
    Olympiakos- W
    Westham – W
    Liverpool – W
    That’s my prediction, If we are able to score first and early against Burnley( we will win it), Olympiakos away will be tricky and I predict a draw game, Spurs is a draw game( because of Morhinho). West ham always get tired when the game is about to end and they are not able to score. Liverpool only have one pattern and that’s to cross and wait for opponent mistake but if Mari and Luis do not make any error, we will beat them as we know that they are vulnerable at the back ( even when Vangikil was there) and we take our chances very well NOT Lacazette misplaced chances in our previous encounter against them..

  17. Burnley – W
    Olympiakos – W
    Spurs – W
    Olympiakos – W
    Westham – W
    Liverpool – D

    My predictions and i believe this is very achievable as long as we avoid conceding early and cheap goals as we did against City and Leicester, and also remain organized.

  18. I hope Arteta and his players focus on one game at a time.At my age I never look too far ahead.

  20. The season defining issue isn’t how far behind Liverpool or Spuds, Arsenal finish but the points difference between us and the likely winners Manchester City.

  21. Burnley – W
    Olympiakos – W
    Spurs – D
    Olympiakos – W
    Westham – W
    Liverpool – D

    We moveee…as far as selection is right, we could even win all…but we are conceding goals recently, so spurs Liverpool would be tricky..
    But we can do it !!

  22. Have us not already played in the League at Anfield this season? Anyway this is not an issue to bother about. For, I strongly believe the Gunners will turn up incredibly well and strong for Arsenal in their next 5 matches for the club. And win all the above 5 mentioned PL and ELC games. Thus putting the club in a strong position to get a top-four place finish this season.

  23. My spirit keep telling me something big is going to happen before this season ends, Arsenal historically always finish the season like a runaway train i really have not comes to terms yet, if that last match we played Benfica, is actually the turning point , Partey is going to be key for us killing off matches when we take the lead.
    Everyone seems to be coming in there own even William that am always sadden by when ever he starts over the young Martinelli , Am not overly concern now over these low block teams anymore once Pepe and Saka is fit and in the side , my main concern is Partey , am hoping the gaffer continues to gives him no more than forty minutes in each of the next three games

  24. After all of these games though
    We have
    Sheffield Away
    Fulham Home
    Everton Home
    Newcastle Away
    West Brom Home
    Just saying

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