Cabin BLV: Arsenal will decode Aston Villa

Despite three recent wins that lacked conviction, Arsenal continues to show stability in the championship battle. There is every chance that Mikel Arteta’s squad will stop Aston Villa’s momentum in their upcoming rematch this week.

1. Before the 19th round, Arsenal still holds the top spot with a 2-point advantage over second-place Man City. Nevertheless, Arteta’s recent wins have not demonstrated clear superiority. They beat Wolves thanks to two own goals by the opposition, won against Everton with Gyokeres’ penalty, and just recently edged Brighton with another decisive own goal.

Actually, the fact that Arsenal’s victories have been narrow and somewhat less convincing is partly due to personnel fluctuations. Just as they were celebrating some players returning from injury, Arteta had to deal with more absences. This situation forces Arsenal to take each match as it comes rather than focusing on long-term plans, not to mention the pressure from Man City behind them. The recurring pattern of a strong start but fading and psychological issues in the later half of recent seasons still exists.

This season’s scenario shows that the Premier League title race will be a chase between Arsenal and Man City. Winning by slim margins might actually be beneficial for Arteta’s team. It reminds Arsenal that a rival is close behind, encouraging them to prepare thoroughly for every upcoming match. The Premier League is a long-distance race, and Arteta’s squad should avoid pushing too hard for convincing wins only to suddenly decline at the season’s crucial moments. Therefore, what Arsenal needs to do is keep accumulating wins to at least maintain a two-way race with Man City through each round and month before thinking about the next steps. Losing momentum is a deadly mistake for Arteta’s team since Man City is known for staying in the slipstream and waiting for mistakes to break away and seize the ultimate title.