Five of the last six teams who were at the top of the Premier League on New Year’s Day have gone on to win the title, with Liverpool in 2013-14 the exception, so can Arsenal, who lead Leicester on goal difference go all the way?
Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front beIn Sports’ EPL coverage discuss the match from the Emirates Stadium.
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Andy Gray: Arsenal’s mental strength has been questioned before, at this stage of the season. When they look to be in a good position they have been prone to implode but I don’t see that happening this year.
When you have a club that is steeped in disappointment, as far as the league is concerned, for the last decade with so many false dawns then, of course, they have to exorcise the demons that have surrounded them in recent seasons, but I think they are good enough to do that.
In the past few seasons Arsenal have sustained injuries and not been able to cope. This season, even when they have lost five, six or seven players they have absorbed it thanks to the quality of their squad. They are going to have the odd hiccup like they did at Southampton but it’s how you respond to those defeats and the Gunners have proved they can bounce back.
For me, the one player who has made a big difference to this Arsenal team is Petr Cech, a goalkeeper of real authority. He stands there, the guys look back at him and they think, ‘wow, we could win this game if we score just one’. That sort of trust in your goalkeeper gives you that extra confidence that makes all the difference.
I also think Laurent Koscielny has been sensational this season at centre-back, Mesut Ozil has been influential game after game, so he has stepped up, and the rest of them including Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, when he is fit, have got a togetherness that they haven’t had for years.
Arsene Wenger has put together an unbelievably talented squad but I do expect him to go into the transfer market this month. I have always admired Wenger’s approach to bringing new players in that he only buys what’s better than he already has and can bring something to the party. He could do with another centre-back to keep them solid in defence, a midfielder and a centre-forward to supplement Giroud.
I don’t think Theo Walcott is good enough and never will be. He is one of those guys who will always be potentially a great player but at 26 he should have fulfilled that potential a long time ago.
Wenger has wanted Karim Benzema for a long time but I don’t think he will get him so he is going to have to find a gem somewhere, the kind of player we don’t know much about but proves to be a great star.
Top of Premier League All-time clean sheets record 19 points above Chelsea Life’s good for Petr Cech… pic.twitter.com/IQ5n018ABF
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) December 28, 2015
I tipped Manchester City to win the title, and I still think they can pip Arsenal at the end, but if you look at their away form Arsenal have taken 19 points and City 12, and there’s the difference.
City clearly have to improve on the road and if they can do that their home form will take care of itself and, with due respect to Leicester, we will have an exciting two horse race for the title. Arsenal can give themselves the perfect start to the year today by beating a mediocre Newcastle 3-0.
Richard Keys: I truly believe this is Arsenal’s year. If they were to be denied then I would like it to be by Leicester. I see them only getting stronger in the second half of the season and, apart from Leicester, I am not that impressed with the other teams in the title race at the moment.
I was disappointed with Manchester City against Leicester and if Claudio Ranieri’s team had started with a bit more ambition, with two up rather than just Jamie Vardy, I think they would have won.
I am not saying City won’t be there or thereabouts but, for me, Arsenal look to be better than any of the teams around them. Manchester United are a mess, Liverpool are nowhere near good enough, Chelsea have fallen apart and only Tottenham have shown any real title potential.
So at this stage of the season the biggest threat to their title bid is themselves and their inability on occasions to kill games off, but, for me, they have the look of champions.
As for Saturday’s game against Newcastle, if Arsenal want four or five goals they can get them but they probably won’t get that many so I’ll go with Andy on this. 3-0.
