Arsenal FC leads the Premier League table and could become champions for the first time since 2004. He is happy to accept an additional burden.
Winning your own game and enjoying watching the competition take points from each other – Arsenal FC was in this comfortable position at the weekend.
After the 2-1 win against Brentford FC on Saturday (March 9th, 2024) with a late goal from Kai Havertz, the rivals’ top game for the championship followed on Sunday. Liverpool FC and Manchester City drew 1-1.
The “three horse race” for the title, as the English call it, is coming to a head. Arsenal FC are leaders in the Premier League ten game days before the end of the season, followed by Liverpool with the same points and Manchester City, who are only one point worse.
Competitors continue to be represented in the European Cup
Form, injuries, remaining program, trainer, experience in the title fight – all of this is now, partly supported by data, analyzed and mixed together to create a forecast. Another factor that goes into the evaluation is the burden of other competitions, and it will be decided on Tuesday (March 12, 2024, from 9 p.m. in the live ticker at sportschau.de) whether Arsenal FC will continue to be represented in the European Cup.
This has already been decided among the competitors. Liverpool FC goes into the round of 16 second leg of the Europa League against Sparta Prague on Thursday (March 14, 2024) with a 5-1 lead. Manchester City has already reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League – expectedly easily.
Late defeat in Porto
Things are unlikely to be easy for Arsenal in the Champions League, as the first leg at FC Porto was lost 1-0 with a goal in stoppage time. Coach Mikel Arteta should field his supposedly best eleven to make up for the deficit, especially since the Gunners have no games next weekend. The game in the Premier League against Chelsea FC has been postponed because the opponent is still in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and faces Leicester City. Arsenal had already been eliminated in the third round, losing 2-0 to Liverpool FC.
Jürgen Klopp’s “Reds”, who already have the League Cup in their trophy cabinet this season, will play in the FA Cup against Manchester United, Pep Guardiola’s “Skyblues” against Newcastle United.
Against Chelsea, at City, at Spurs, at United
After the game against Porto, Arsenal FC will not have to play again until the last day of the month. On Easter Sunday there is the big game at Manchester City, at the end of April the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur, two weeks later the game at Manchester United, and that says a lot about the difficulty of the rest of the program.
After the international break comes the period in which Arsenal lost the championship last season, which seemed closer than it had been in a long time due to a sometimes significant lead over Manchester City.
An advantage for Arsenal FC is that there are hardly any injured players at the moment. Manchester City also has no problems in this regard. The critical situation is gradually easing at Liverpool FC. However, important players such as goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the strong striker Diogo Jota are still out longer.
Three Arsenal professionals with more than 3,000 minutes of action
Partly forced by the plight of injuries, Jürgen Klopp spread the burden widely. Virgil van Dijk has the most minutes with 2,848 minutes*, with Luis Díaz and Joe Gomez only two other players have more than 2,500 minutes.
At Arsenal FC there are eight players with more than 2,500 minutes of action, with the two central defenders William Sabila and Gabriel Magalhães as well as the central midfielder Declan Rice, three professionals even have more than 3,000 minutes.
Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice
Frequent player Phil Foden
At Manchester City there are even four, and the fact that Phil Foden (3,242 minutes in 41 appearances) leads the list is astonishing. Ten players from the defending Premier League champions have played more than 2,500 minutes.
Arsenal coach Arteta hopes the club’s fans will do their part against Porto to get many more minutes in the Champions League. “The stadium will develop an energy like you have never seen in your life”he said to reporters after the win against Brentford. The fans were excited because Arsenal had not been in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for 14 years, the Spaniard explained the euphoria.
* Source for all information on stakes and minutes played: transfermarkt.de