The 'Invincibles'... Arsenal's last Premier League title
An 'easy' run-in?
By Kevin Mooney
Word on the street is that Arsenal has an easy run-in to the end of the season, or at least a much easier run-in than title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United. And at first glance, it appears it could be true.
After all, Chelsea and Manchester United still have to play each other, so at least one of those teams will drop points. Further, Chelsea must still face the likes of Aston Villa, Spurs, and Liverpool. Manchester United also has Liverpool and Tottenham on their schedule, but they also must travel to the blue side of Manchester to take on City. Undeniably, these are difficult roads for each team.
That would appear to give us an advantage. And with team spirit and confidence very high right now, Arsenal’s situation looks very good. But before we all start popping the Champagne, we must look closer.
Of Arsenal’s remaining games, three of them are against teams in the top eight, and each of those teams are scrapping for every point they can get. Spurs and Manchester City are targeting the top four and that elusive Champions League birth. Birmingham, meanwhile, is still pushing for a spot in the Europa League.
Peril also lies at the other end of the table. Wolves are staring relegation straight in the eye, and you can be sure they will fight like a cornered…um… wolf in all of their remaining games. Wigan, while not actually in the relegation zone at the moment, are certainly not assured of safety.
The calendar also provides obstacles to Arsenal. The match against Spurs is scheduled to be held just a few days after the second leg of our Champions League Quarter-Final. And assuming that we continue our march toward the Final in May, the Manchester City match will be sandwiched between the two legs of our Semi-Final.
And lest we forget, there is also a visit up north to Blackburn. Sam Allardyce and Co are sure to be seeking vengeance after the 6-2 drubbing they suffered at the Emirates earlier this season.
Yes, this is a title race that will go down to the wire. And each of the three teams in it can claim both advantages and disadvantages.
Should we as fans be confident that our team can win the title year? Absolutely. This Arsenal squad is more than capable of winning all of the remaining games and we have a mental toughness that has been somewhat lacking in recent years.
But an easy run-in? Not in this league.
