It has been an excellent few days for the Gunners, who continued their impressive start to the season with a hard-fought, 1-0 win against Leeds at Elland Road at the weekend.
Just a few hours later, Manchester City slipped to a surprise defeat by the same score at Anfield, while the midweek fixtures saw North London rivals Tottenham fail to close the gap at the top following a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
This means the Gunners remain four points clear of City and Spurs, while retaining a game in hand on the latter. But have the side now proved their title credentials, and can they really challenge for the EPL crown this season?
How Arsenal Responded to Their Sole EPL Defeat This Season
Following their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 4th, it was suggested that Arsenal’s early season bubble had been well and truly burst.
After all, this was the Gunners’ first match of the season against a traditional top six rival, as their previous five league opponents had all finished in the bottom half of the table in 2021/22.
What’s more, Arsenal displayed some familiar failings at Old Trafford, as they remained vulnerable on the counterattack and struggled to balance attack and defence when chasing the game late on.
Not only have the Gunners won all four league games since this defeat, however, but this sequence has also included impressive home wins against bitter rivals Spurs and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Arsenal were dominant against a meek and limited Tottenham side, which struggled to cope with the Gunners’ movement and constant waves of attack.
The match against Liverpool was a more end-to-end affair, and while Arsenal rode their luck at times (escaping the award of a penalty following a blatant handball by Gabriel), they dominated for much of the second half and used an aggressive press to swarm Liverpool into submission.
Have Arsenal Proven Their Title Credentials?
The high-profile wins against Spurs and Liverpool have assuaged some of the doubts surrounding Arsenal, particularly their ability to compete under pressure and deliver against the very best opponents.
These wins also came in an impressive four-game winning sequence that followed their inaugural defeat of the season, showcasing genuine mental resilience and an ability to bounce back from difficult and chastening results.
Make no mistake; this type of resilience is synonymous with previous EPL champions, as is the ability to beat so-called “big six” rivals and grind out results without playing particularly well.
The Gunners have ticked all of these boxes during the last month or so, meaning that they’ve proved their title credentials and deserve to be taken seriously as Premier League contenders.
The Last Word – Can Arsenal Win the Title?
To this end, Arsenal are now second favourites to win the EPL title, at an average price of 6/1 (7.00). So, although casino fans may prefer to use their bankroll to access the NEWBONUS GGpoker welcome offer, the Gunners are attracting the interest of sports bettors nationwide.
However, the Gunners’ squad remains a little threadbare at centre back and midfield, with any extended absence to Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka likely to leave Arsenal particularly exposed.
Injuries to Bukayo Saka and the brilliant Gabriel Jesus could also be highly damaging, with Arsenal lacking obvious or high-quality replacements for both players.
This, coupled with Manchester City’s obvious title pedigree, huge squad and ability to build extended winning sequences, means that the Gunners may ultimately fall short of the title this season and will instead be competing to secure second place.
