THEY WILL FACE tougher upcoming tests than a Bayer Leverkusen side who sit sixth in the Bundesliga, but Arsenal are closing in on a dream season.
Five wins and a draw from their final seven Premier League matches will be enough to guarantee the Gunners the title.
They could win another trophy by defeating Manchester City in the League Cup final on Sunday.
And the North Londoners will be strong favourites to overcome Sporting Lisbon and Southampton in the respective Champions League and FA Cup quarter finals.
They also remain unbeaten in Europe this season, topping the Champions League table with eight wins from eight.
So Mikel Arteta could hardly have conceived of a more favourable scenario at the start of the season.
And in contrast with the Gunners’ dominance, many of their English rivals are flailing.
Chelsea and Man City both exited the Champions League this evening following comprehensive aggregate defeats.
Tottenham will surely also bow out tomorrow, having lost their first leg with Atletico Madrid 5-2.
There is also significant doubt as to whether Newcastle and Liverpool will progress on Wednesday, with both sides having endured difficult domestic seasons.
Regardless, on current form, Arsenal are the only English team that look like a potential Champions League winner.
While a record six Premier League clubs advanced to the last 16 of the competition, for two (and likely more) to exit so tamely feels like a considerable underperformance.
All six of the sides in question feature in the top 20 of the latest Deloitte money league, and all bar Newcastle are in the top 10.
Yet, except for Arsenal, the other five have, to varying degrees, had disappointing seasons.
The elite Premier League sides dwarf the resources of most European clubs, so it is not easy to understand their struggles.
And while every team has their unique set of problems, a recurring issue is the unforgiving schedule that English teams face.
Tottenham, for instance, had 13 first-team players injured for their Premier League clash at the weekend.
Man City and Liverpool, in particular, have appeared to be tiring badly in recent weeks amid some below-par results.
Chelsea have reportedly spent well over €1 billion assembling their squad but still look way off being able to challenge for the Premier League title.
The fact that Newcastle sit ninth in the table illustrates their problems combining the rigorous demands of the Premier League and Europe.
Arsenal have not been immune to the pervasive sense of tiredness either. They were fortunate to beat Everton on Saturday and looked well below their best, having to wait until the 89th minute to break the deadlock.
But Mikel Arteta’s men have demonstrated a level of resilience that other English sides with title aspirations have lacked.
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So why have they thrived as others have flagged?
Their astute summer transfer business provides a clue.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martín Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze were all recruited.
Most of those players were not automatic starters, and few would get in Arsenal’s best XI.
What they have done is provide the squad with a level of depth that previous incarnations of the Gunners have lacked.
Arteta has signed several solid, reliable performers. Compare that to Liverpool, who brought in players that they were almost obliged to start — the Reds spent over €250 million alone on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, with the reigning champions struggling to adapt while instantaneously introducing these big-name players.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have benefited from having a more rounded squad with players willing to accept peripheral roles and Arteta not having to accommodate too many big egos.
It’s also noticeable how the Gunners, unlike many of their rivals, have managed to keep most of their key players fit throughout the season.
David Raya (40 games), Jurien Timber (48), Gabriel Magalhaes (40), William Saliba (40), Declan Rice (44), Martin Zubimendi (48), Bukayo Saka (42), Eberechi Eze (44) and Viktor Gyokeres (45) have all routinely had starring roles.
Eze with a rocket to fire Arsenal into the lead at the Emirates 🚀🔥
“There was only one team that tried to play football tonight,” Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said afterwards.
“I ask one question: Did you ever see a Premier League game where a goalkeeper goes down three times?
“I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win it that way.
“The Premier League has to make clearer rules, needs a limit, for time wasting, because they have to protect the referees.
“You can really feel that they do everything now to win this game, and in the end it’s about the rules.”
The painfully slow tactics are irritating for neutrals, and this Gunners team won’t be remembered as fondly as Arsene Wenger’s far more aesthetically pleasing title-winning sides.
But as Hurzeler indicated, Arsenal have become better than anyone at exploiting the Premier League’s lax rules on time-wasting, wisely conserving their energy in the process.
It’s little wonder they look the best-equipped side by far to handle the intensive, end-of-season run-in, as others struggle to maintain more ambitious philosophies.
There is also, surely, a connection with the Gunners’ excellent injury record.
Compare it to their great rivals, Tottenham. Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs won admirers for their breakneck way of playing. But in both seasons with the Australian at the helm, the team suffered injury crises that led to several disappointing results.
By taking the opposite, languid, defence-oriented approach and relying on their array of talented attackers to produce a moment of magic, like Eze did tonight, Arteta has unlocked a winning formula that has separated Arsenal from the pack and will likely inspire many imitators in years to come.
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Arsenal are bad to watch, but are they the smartest team in Europe?
THEY WILL FACE tougher upcoming tests than a Bayer Leverkusen side who sit sixth in the Bundesliga, but Arsenal are closing in on a dream season.
Five wins and a draw from their final seven Premier League matches will be enough to guarantee the Gunners the title.
They could win another trophy by defeating Manchester City in the League Cup final on Sunday.
And the North Londoners will be strong favourites to overcome Sporting Lisbon and Southampton in the respective Champions League and FA Cup quarter finals.
They also remain unbeaten in Europe this season, topping the Champions League table with eight wins from eight.
So Mikel Arteta could hardly have conceived of a more favourable scenario at the start of the season.
And in contrast with the Gunners’ dominance, many of their English rivals are flailing.
Chelsea and Man City both exited the Champions League this evening following comprehensive aggregate defeats.
Tottenham will surely also bow out tomorrow, having lost their first leg with Atletico Madrid 5-2.
There is also significant doubt as to whether Newcastle and Liverpool will progress on Wednesday, with both sides having endured difficult domestic seasons.
Regardless, on current form, Arsenal are the only English team that look like a potential Champions League winner.
While a record six Premier League clubs advanced to the last 16 of the competition, for two (and likely more) to exit so tamely feels like a considerable underperformance.
All six of the sides in question feature in the top 20 of the latest Deloitte money league, and all bar Newcastle are in the top 10.
Yet, except for Arsenal, the other five have, to varying degrees, had disappointing seasons.
The elite Premier League sides dwarf the resources of most European clubs, so it is not easy to understand their struggles.
And while every team has their unique set of problems, a recurring issue is the unforgiving schedule that English teams face.
Tottenham, for instance, had 13 first-team players injured for their Premier League clash at the weekend.
Man City and Liverpool, in particular, have appeared to be tiring badly in recent weeks amid some below-par results.
Chelsea have reportedly spent well over €1 billion assembling their squad but still look way off being able to challenge for the Premier League title.
The fact that Newcastle sit ninth in the table illustrates their problems combining the rigorous demands of the Premier League and Europe.
Arsenal have not been immune to the pervasive sense of tiredness either. They were fortunate to beat Everton on Saturday and looked well below their best, having to wait until the 89th minute to break the deadlock.
But Mikel Arteta’s men have demonstrated a level of resilience that other English sides with title aspirations have lacked.
So why have they thrived as others have flagged?
Their astute summer transfer business provides a clue.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martín Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze were all recruited.
Most of those players were not automatic starters, and few would get in Arsenal’s best XI.
What they have done is provide the squad with a level of depth that previous incarnations of the Gunners have lacked.
Arteta has signed several solid, reliable performers. Compare that to Liverpool, who brought in players that they were almost obliged to start — the Reds spent over €250 million alone on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, with the reigning champions struggling to adapt while instantaneously introducing these big-name players.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have benefited from having a more rounded squad with players willing to accept peripheral roles and Arteta not having to accommodate too many big egos.
It’s also noticeable how the Gunners, unlike many of their rivals, have managed to keep most of their key players fit throughout the season.
David Raya (40 games), Jurien Timber (48), Gabriel Magalhaes (40), William Saliba (40), Declan Rice (44), Martin Zubimendi (48), Bukayo Saka (42), Eberechi Eze (44) and Viktor Gyokeres (45) have all routinely had starring roles.
For that to be the case, amid such an exhausting schedule, is some achievement.
Arteta is often criticised for his style and, indeed, Arsenal are not the most exhilarating team to watch.
Against Brighton earlier this month, the table toppers took 30 minutes restarting play.
“There was only one team that tried to play football tonight,” Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said afterwards.
“I ask one question: Did you ever see a Premier League game where a goalkeeper goes down three times?
“I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win it that way.
“The Premier League has to make clearer rules, needs a limit, for time wasting, because they have to protect the referees.
“You can really feel that they do everything now to win this game, and in the end it’s about the rules.”
The painfully slow tactics are irritating for neutrals, and this Gunners team won’t be remembered as fondly as Arsene Wenger’s far more aesthetically pleasing title-winning sides.
But as Hurzeler indicated, Arsenal have become better than anyone at exploiting the Premier League’s lax rules on time-wasting, wisely conserving their energy in the process.
It’s little wonder they look the best-equipped side by far to handle the intensive, end-of-season run-in, as others struggle to maintain more ambitious philosophies.
There is also, surely, a connection with the Gunners’ excellent injury record.
Compare it to their great rivals, Tottenham. Under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs won admirers for their breakneck way of playing. But in both seasons with the Australian at the helm, the team suffered injury crises that led to several disappointing results.
By taking the opposite, languid, defence-oriented approach and relying on their array of talented attackers to produce a moment of magic, like Eze did tonight, Arteta has unlocked a winning formula that has separated Arsenal from the pack and will likely inspire many imitators in years to come.
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UEFA Champions League Going Well Soccer talking point Arsenal Bayer Leverkusen