Currently sitting pretty atop the Premier League table, eight points clear of Manchester City, Arsenal are well and truly in the driver's seat to secure their first league title since "The Invincibles" reigned supreme in the 2003/2004 campaign.
- Published prior to Arsenal v Manchester United on Sunday
Playing with cohesion, clarity and confidence in all phases of the game, the title appears there's to lose, as Mikel Arteta's ultra consistent Arsenal are looking primed for glory this season.
Having bagged 42 goals so far and only failed to score in one league game, plus only conceding 14 on their way to keeping nine clean sheets, it'd take a brave man to bet against this well-oiled Arsenal machine becoming champions.
Premier League winner 22/23 odds (via Sky Bet)
- 4/5 - Arsenal
- 5/4 - Manchester City
- 16/1 - Manchester United
- 50/1 - Newcastle
- 250/1 bar
Odds correct at 1110 (17/01/23)
While everything appears to be going in a distinctly upward trajectory for the high flying Gunners, who have only lost once this campaign, there have been some small signs of potential weakness.
Injuries could knock Arsenal
The main issue that worries the supporters is the lack of squad depth in central midfield and upfront.
Although many thought their title hopes would endure a slow down when star striker Gabriel Jesus got injured at the World Cup, this hasn't been the case, with Eddie Nketiah stepping up and filling the void brilliantly.
Leading the line with aplomb and performing his roles and responsibilities masterfully, the 23-year-old speedster has hardly put a foot wrong, which has alleviated that conundrum smoothly.
Meanwhile, in midfield is where the greater issues could arise, as there's no denying how integral the triumvirate of Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are towards their success.
Providing terrific balance, energy, tactical flexibility and bringing so much to the table on both ends, these men are essentially irreplaceable. Despite the likes of Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny possessing quality, they're not at the same level so the Gunners will be praying their heavy hitters stay fit.
The same also applies to the wingers in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, plus the defence, with the first choice men being so important, which, in reality, is the case with most teams. But when your main challenger is Manchester City, who have a squad littered with gifted replacements in every position, it's particularly imperative that Arsenal's key men stay healthy.
Another problem with losing their big guns is that it inherently disrupts and upsets the team dynamics and their ability to play with the elite level of understanding and coherence they usually would.
Thankfully, Arsenal haven't suffered any major concerns yet, which has been especially important given their tough run of recent fixtures and the fact they face some difficult games ahead in the next month against the likes of Manchester United, Brentford and Manchester City.
Data points to no weaknesses
Upon looking through the numbers, there's nothing glaringly bad that stands out, for they rank highly in a host of key metrics defensively and offensively, with the Gunners in the top three in the league in the numbers listed below.
Even though they've been nothing short of exceptional, their defensive record could be even better, as they've gifted opponents some easy goals courtesy of avoidable mistakes by the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel and Aaron Ramsdale.
Moreover, if opponents can bypass their usually marvellous counterpressing, acres of space can be accessed in transition, but this is easier said than done.
Another thing that could harm them will be the impending fixture congestion, which will really ramp up when the Europa League begins again, so Arteta will be very wary of wisely managing his squad.
So hard to play against, masters at dominating possession, restricting opponents and excelling at set-pieces at either end, this organised, disciplined and fiercely determined Arsenal, who are operating with such belief both at home and away, don't appear to be showing any signs of easing up anytime soon.
Getting the fundamentals of Arteta's tactically sophisticated game plan spot on and a cut above the rest in terms of collective togetherness, it'll be fascinating to see how the second half of the season pans out.
The only major thing, on the surface, at least, that might stifle their hopes of grabbing a historic title will be injuries to their key players, which they'll desperately be hoping doesn't happen, as everything is trending in the right direction in what's been an outstanding season so far.
