Arsenal’s woes over the last three seasons are the stuff of nightmares. Under the eye of Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have emerged from the lowest point of their recent history to become genuine contenders both domestically and on the continental stage. However, they have yet to climb back to the summit of English football, and the pressure is on for the Spanish boss to deliver some silverware after years of rebuilding.
Blistering Start for the Defending Champions
Liverpool won the league last season in blistering fashion, and they spent heavily this summer in a bid to become the Premier League’s next dynasty. The Reds smashed the British transfer record twice on Florian Wirtz and then Alexander Isak. They began the campaign with three straight victories, the latter of those coming against Arsenal, before making the short trip to Burnley for a seemingly easy three points.
Online Burnley vs Liverpool betting odds from before the Turf Moor clash listed Liverpool as a mightily short 1/3 shot to defeat the Clarets. Ultimately, the Reds got the job done, but they made hard work of it, relying on Mohamed Salah’s 95th-minute penalty to steal a 1-0 victory.
Now, Liverpool are the overwhelming favourites to defend their title. The latest Premier League football odds list Arne Slot’s side a 6/5 frontrunner for a second straight crown, with Arsenal lagging at 13/8. But the North London faithful shouldn’t be too disheartened just yet.
No Cause for Concern
While Liverpool spent big in the summer, Arsenal did the same. They spent over £250 million to sign the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, but it’s Swedish goal machine Viktor Gyökeres that feels like the missing piece of the puzzle. The Gunners have suffered woefully with striking injuries throughout their last three Premier League runners-up campaigns, with knocks to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz ultimately costing them a genuine run at the title.
Now, with Gyökeres on song, the Emirates is alive with promise. Arsenal managed to grind out a 1-0 win away at Manchester United on the opening day of the season, playing defensively resolute football to secure a victory that never would have happened in years gone by. Thumping home victories against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have since come, but it’s the 1-0 reverse at Anfield that Mikel Arteta should take the most optimism from.
When his side visited Liverpool, it did so without talisman Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Ødegaard, while star defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury after just five minutes. Even still, it took a 30-yard stunner from Dominik Szoboszlai to deny Arsenal a deserved point. When the Gunners are at full strength, they will fancy their chances at beating the champions down at the Emirates.
The Pressure is On
Mikel Arteta has been building to this moment for the last six years. He has built a squad packed with superstars and capable of contending. But for all the growth, Arsenal remain trophyless, and that simply has to change this season. And no, neither the FA Cup nor the League Cup will suffice.
Arsenal can take the fight to Liverpool; they have proven that already. They have also proven that they have turned a corner with their resounding victory over Nottingham Forest, a team that they could have slipped to a draw against last season, but instead blew out of the water.
Their form against the Big Six is already pristine, and this title will be won by putting away stubborn midtable sides. If the Gunners can do that, and beat the Reds in their return fixture in North London in January, there’s no reason to think that their 22-year wait for a Premier League title can’t come to an end.
