Arsenal will win the Premier League this year, and for at least a few months order will be restored in terms of Premier League parity, writes Oliver Keohane.
When I say “order will be restored”, I mean there will be a temporary interruption to the Manchester City monopoly that will give fans hope that just maybe a world still exists where we will have a competitive top four or five, who will alternate in Premier League glory.
For Liverpool to finish second as many times as they have in the last three years, with as many points as they’ve had, is unprecedented. The points haul that fell second to Pep Guardiola’s powerhouse so many times would have won the league every year for the last two decades. But we live in an era where the squad that Manchester City has built, is nearly impossible to beat in the long run. Perhaps on the day, but try 38 weeks.
Liverpool intervened on this narrative in the 2019/20 season, and Mikel Arteta’s men in 2023 are Akin to Klopp’s side of three seasons ago.
Arsenal sits five points clear of City, with a game in hand. In 2019/20 Liverpool had 52 points after 19 games. After the same number of games, Arteta’s men have 50 points, having won 16, drawn two and lost only one. City, despite the absurdity of Erling Haaland’s strike rate, have lost three and drawn three.
For the last few years, Arteta has been building a youthful squad, honing the talent of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, who have come to the party in 2022/23. The difference this season has also been the complement of more senior signings like Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Coming from behind to beat an in-form Manchester United side on Sunday was huge for Arsenal. Especially when one considers that just before, Man City had laid waste to Wolves and edged close to usurping Arsenal at the top of the table.
At a certain point you have to start backing a side that just continues to win, but perhaps more importantly refuses to lose. For the first time since the Invincibles, Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy, and it will be under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, whose tutelage began under Pep, at Man City.
Watch: Arsenal’s evolution under Arteta