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Cunha seals late victory with a stunning goal as Man Utd defeats Arsenal
Arsenal remain four points ahead at the Premier League summit – but is apprehension creeping in for the Gunners?
A mere eight days following a missed opportunity to extend their lead over second-place Manchester City to nine points, their advantage has been significantly reduced after a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest and Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United.
This marks their first home defeat of the season, extending their winless streak in the league to three games.
“It’s pressure. The pressure was on Arsenal today,” commented former Manchester United captain Roy Keane on Sky Sports.
“Having observed the other results, they realize their advantageous position, possessing all the elements for success… yet, it’s pressure.
“They are experiencing pressure, and their response over the coming months will be decisive. This has been their downfall in recent years.
“It’s surprising that they don’t project the confidence expected of a team in their league standing. They must revert to fundamentals and embrace this challenge instead of succumbing to fear.”
Leading the table with their fate in their own hands, the Gunners find themselves in familiar territory, having finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons.
Does this recent instability signal a looming downturn? Not necessarily.
Regardless of future outcomes, Arsenal’s season to date has been undeniably impressive.
Currently at the top of the league, boasting a perfect Champions League record, holding an advantage over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, and advancing to the FA Cup fourth round, they remain in contention for all four trophies.
In terms of the Premier League, Opta still considers them the clear frontrunners for the title.
They assign an 84.44% probability to the Gunners maintaining their top position, despite their recent form, with Manchester City holding only an 8.38% chance and Aston Villa at 7.09%.
All other Premier League clubs have less than a 1% chance of clinching the title.
This projection may stem from the inconsistency among the chasing teams as much as from Despite a loss and two draws in their last three matches, Arsenal still possess the second-best points-per-game ratio among the top six teams over the past six match rounds.
Manchester United leads in this metric.
Arsenal also appear to have a favorable remaining schedule, with only two matches against the current top six, making it, on paper, the easiest among the leading contenders.
Key upcoming matches:
Arsenal: Chelsea (H – March 1), Man City (A – April 18)
Man City: Liverpool (A – February 8), Chelsea (A – April 11), Arsenal (H – April 18), Aston Villa (H – May 24)
Aston Villa: Chelsea (H – March 4), Man Utd (A – March 14), Liverpool (H – May 17), Man City (A – May 24)
Man Utd: Aston Villa (H – March 14), Chelsea (A – April 18), Liverpool (H – May 2)
Chelsea: Arsenal (A – March 1), Aston Villa (A – March 4), Man City (H – April 11), Man Utd (H – April 18), Liverpool (A – May 9)
Liverpool: Man City (H – Feb 8), Man Utd (A – May 2), Chelsea (H – May 9), Aston Villa (A – May 17)
It also appears likely that this season will require the lowest points tally to secure the league title in recent memory.
Since Arsenal last claimed the league title 22 years ago, only Leicester in 2015-16 had accumulated fewer points after 23 games.
Arsenal’s current total of 50 points falls short of the average (55) for a Premier League title winner at this stage of the season.
In past campaigns, a stumble like Arsenal’s might have been considered severely detrimental. However, this season, the impact seems considerably lessened.
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Arteta: It’s totally unrealistic to win every game.
Prior to the match, Arteta expressed his desire for the crowd to “generate more energy, more positivity around the game,” but this was notably absent as Arsenal sought a comeback, with a palpable sense of anxiety in the Emirates Stadium.
Boos were heard at the final whistle, which Arteta attributed to the “demands and expectation” associated with competing for the title.
“It is an inherent part of the journey to victory,” he stated. “Otherwise, no one would ever experience defeat.
“It’s how we respond to it that matters, and I am confident, given the character of the players in the dressing room and their collective ambition, that we will respond promptly.”
The Gunners’ manager attempted to alter the game’s course with a quadruple substitution when his team was trailing 2-1. Despite leveling the score, Matheus Cunha’s exceptional late goal secured a victory for Manchester United.
“It’s of no consequence,” Arteta responded when questioned about the crowd’s reaction. “We must elevate our performance, as it may not be sufficient. We must give our utmost effort.
“When you do that, you can rest assured. Today, we undeniably strived to perform our best, but we lacked efficiency against a well-organized team, and we were penalized for our own errors as well.”
Having secured a top-two finish in the Champions League and with a final match against bottom-ranked Kairat on Wednesday, Arteta will have the opportunity to rotate his squad before their next league fixture against Leeds on Saturday.
“I still believe Arsenal remains the favorite to win the title, but Arteta will be concerned about their recent performances against Liverpool, [Nottingham] Forest, and now Manchester United,” stated former England captain Wayne Rooney, a pundit on Sunday’s Match of the Day.
“Nevertheless, I still lean towards them as slight favorites.”
One concern is the absence of a consistent goalscorer within their ranks. The current lack of goals from their attackers places greater emphasis on their threat from set-pieces.
Bukayo Saka – 0 goals in past 13 appearances in all competitions
Viktor Gyokeres – 0 non-penalty goals in past 11 Premier League appearances
Gabriel Martinelli – 0 goals in past 13 Premier League appearances
Nono Madueke – 0 goals in past 25 Premier League appearances
Leandro Trossard – one goal in past 11 appearances in all competitions
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville suggests that Arteta will need to reassess his approach.
“An incredible, incredible match and a sobering day for Arsenal,” Neville remarked on Sky Sports.
“They’ll have to regroup, reset, and rethink their strategy. They maintain a four-point advantage with a considerable portion of the season remaining, but questions will undoubtedly arise following today’s events.”
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