Arsenal have reasons for optimism that this title race will end differently

The most superstitious Arsenal fans could be forgiven for going to bed on Saturday night with mixed feelings.

They had just watched Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty earn a 1-0 win over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium, giving the striker his first goal since November.

Advertisement

The good news is that these three points have put Arsenal back above Manchester City and at the top of the Premier League table, where they will sit on Christmas Day.

The bad news? This Arsenal will be top of the table on Christmas Day.

Arsenal have spent Christmas at the top of the Premier League four times and four times failed to win the title.

This includes the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons under Mikel Arteta, when the Gunners went down later in the campaign and saw City clearly charge down the stretch.

Pep Guardiola’s side are once again in hiding and are once again crushing their opponents, racking up goals in worrying fashion.

Advertisement

City have won their last seven matches in all competitions, scoring at least twice in each, and are just two points behind Arsenal.

The challenge for Arteta and the Gunners is to ensure another season of Christmas control does not end in May misery.

“What gives me confidence is the level of performance and its consistency,” Arteta said on Saturday.

“It’s very, very difficult to do in this league. It means the team is constantly there.

“Enjoy the process of winning. You’re going to have to go through some tough places, you’re going to have some tough times. We’ve already sorted out a lot of things and here we are.”

Advertisement

Many of these problems, as has often been the case at Arsenal in recent seasons, are injury-related.

Martin Odegaard was sidelined for 11 matches with shoulder and knee problems, while William Saliba and Bukayo Saka missed four and three games respectively.

Noni Madueke was banned for two months. Gabriel has been out for six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Kai Havertz has played a total of 30 minutes this season and Arsenal effectively spent the entire month of November without him, without Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in attack.

In previous seasons, injuries derailed Arsenal, who lacked the squad depth to compete. The periods without Saka and Saliba were disastrous.

Advertisement

The Gunners now have real options in reserve and injuries can no longer be an excuse for failing to cross the finish line in a title race.

The fixture schedule should also encourage Arsenal and Arteta that there will be no hoodoo on Christmas Day this time.

Trips to Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland have already been scheduled.

Of the six teams with the worst home records in the Premier League this season, Arsenal have only faced one – Burnley – on the road.

There’s a feeling that Arsenal haven’t been at their best in recent weeks, getting the job done with nervy, close wins rather than killing off games early and keeping the stress to a minimum.

Advertisement

Particularly in the dramatic win against Wolves, there was obvious nervousness and that’s not even a concern mid-season. The title race has only just begun.

The hope will be that Arsenal can peak at the right time. Arteta has expressed his belief that Gyokeres will reach another level in the second half of the season as he continues to adapt and that could be a deciding factor.

Gyokeres has just five Premier League goals so far, but the Gunners have still found a way to get ahead of their rivals.

Difficult days have passed and this is a team with no obvious weaknesses, capable of dealing with injuries all over the field.

Sitting at the top on Christmas Day is an encouraging platform. Now the serious things begin.