Arsenal’s next six fixtures after Sporting CP second leg
There are many Arsenal fans who might have thought the Premier League bubble had burst by now.
Their incredible start to the season sparked early talks of a serious title shot, but was met with immediate pessimism from Arsenal fans and other teams alike. But it’s now mid-March and they’re still five points clear at the top of the table.
There’s no denying that they are favorites to take the title with 11 Premier League games to play. The next six games of Mikel Arteta’s side game will be crucial to their season. It could all be swept away very quickly, especially when a team like Manchester City are on the hunt.
With the Carabao Cup over, Arsenal’s FA Cup campaign without a start and a now confirmed Europa League exit, they have just 11 Premier League games left.
Here’s who they have in the next six of those Premier League games.
This is one of those games where Arsenal certainly don’t see any problems at all. Crystal Palace are struggling to put together any form and there are now fears for Patrick Vieira’s job. They are now in 12th place and appear to be falling rather than up.
Their last win came on December 31 away at Bournemouth and Arsenal should have far too much in front of their own fans in the Emirates against a Palace side utterly lacking in confidence.
Much like the game at Crystal Palace, this is a game Arsenal will welcome. They are back at home against a Leeds side in the middle of a relegation battle. They are the main contenders for relegation and will not be confident of getting anything at the Emirates.
Playing against relegation-threatened teams at this stage of the season can bring new challenges, but anything less than six points from those two games would be a real concern for Arsenal and open the door for Manchester City.
The trip to Liverpool is a potential banana peel for Arsenal and a game Manchester City will have identified as one where the Gunners could lose points. Whilst Liverpool have had a rather torrid season, there have been clear signs of a revival in the Premier League.
The Reds still have a chance of finishing in the top four and have only Premier League games to think about for the rest of the season. If Arsenal win at Anfield they will feel they are truly on their way to glory.
CONTINUE READING
This is another game Arsenal probably would have picked if given the opportunity. West Ham have endured a miserable season under David Moyes and are in serious danger of relegation despite the quality of some players in the squad.
Despite not being home, this is a game in the same category as Leeds and Palace where a slip would ring some serious alarm bells among fans as they near the end of the season.
Arsenal have three teams in the current bottom four in their next six Premier League games. There’s really no excuse that they aren’t still in a position of strength in the final weeks of the season. Southampton seem the most likely to go down this time.
While there are signs of some improvement under Ruben Selles, it’s not clear if it will be enough to sustain them. Arsenal just need to win this game at home, especially considering the game that comes after.
The great. This is the game where the Premier League title is likely to be won or lost and Arsenal simply need to come in with maximum points against the lower sides.
Manchester City are likely to enter this game having previously had five successful Premier League games and the gap is expected to be similar to what it is now. At the Etihad, Arsenal may be in a position where a draw will do them good, but they certainly don’t want to finish second.