February has just started, and Valentine's Day, the festival of love, has not yet arrived.
Many have boldly predicted that Arsenal will inevitably win the Premier League this season, while relegated Wolves will likely join Burnley in the lower division. As for another team, we'll see if the Hammers can swap places with anyone.
This weekend, I watched the Arsenal vs. Sunderland match at Emirates Stadium, which led me to consider whether anything could obstruct the Gunners from becoming champions.
...A major injury problem...
Mikel Merino's foot injury, which will keep him out for four months—or effectively the entire season—is truly unfortunate, as he can play both midfield and false nine roles, contributing goals to the team.
Overall, coach Mikel Arteta has been fairly lucky. By the 25th Premier League match of the season, he could field his main defensive lineup intact, with Italian left-back Riccardo Calafiori returning to the starting eleven after a couple of appearances as a substitute. If you ask me what sets Arsenal apart from their rivals, it’s their more consistent defense.
The Gunners possess a key trait of championship teams: their core players are not absent for long periods, and when they do miss games, capable substitutes fill in adequately. The defense had worrying moments when Gabriel Magalhães—prominent in defense and offensive set-pieces—was absent. Then William Saliba, right-back Jurrien Timber, and Calafiori also missed time, yet the team kept moving forward.
At this moment, all defenders are available and have kept a clean sheet again. Moreover, the bench includes Piero Hincapié (the leading left-back option ahead of youngster Miles Lewis-Skelly), Christian Mosquera, and Ben White. While not world-class stars, when called upon, they seem to deliver solid performances.
...Striker lacks sharpness and scores too few from open play...
Against Sunderland, without stars Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Ødegaard—who will return to play in a few days—Kai Havertz performed well in the number ten role, providing an assist and nearly scoring a beautiful curling shot into the far post.
Kai Havertz is considered a bonus in Arsenal's title chase, especially since at the start of the season no one expected him to contribute significantly to the team anytime soon.
Victor Yokeres is neither Thierry Henry nor Robin van Persie, but coming off the bench to score two goals, bringing his Premier League tally in his first Arsenal season to eight (plus four in the Champions League), makes him the team’s top scorer and likely pleases the Gunners’ fans. Oh, and these goals are not from set-pieces, despite some critics of Arsenal.
No one wins the Premier League title in February, but this weekend, closest rival Aston Villa only managed a draw, and Manchester City is struggling with several key player injuries and an unusually large points deduction.
Looking at the current situation, it’s safe to say the path is wide open for the Gunners.
--Little Joe--