Arsenal Must Avoid Another Collapse in the Premier League Title Race – or Face 'North London for Never' Taunts for Arteta

For Mikel Arteta, this must be the moment.

The Spaniard may have faced ridicule for his “trust the process” mantra in recent years.

Mikel Arteta is determined to win the Premier League with Arsenal this season. The Gunners currently lead the Premier League table.

However, he has steadily built the strongest squad since the glory days of the Invincibles.

A team devoid of weaknesses, with reserves who can seamlessly integrate and ensure the absentees are hardly missed.

If Arteta and his squad fall short of what seems to be their title destiny, the rest of the football world will start boasting about “North London Forever”.

The 21-year wait for a fourth Premier League title, following three in a seven-season stretch under Wenger, remains a painful topic.

A generation of Gooners has witnessed their status as London's trophy-collecting powerhouse overshadowed by others.

Since Arteta's only trophy triumph — at an empty Wembley during the pandemic aftermath — not just Chelsea but also Manchester City and even Liverpool have celebrated more recent successes.

This has intensified the pressure on Arteta and his team to deliver.

Sympathy for near misses only lasts so long before doubts grow into a debilitating issue.

Yet it’s not just the Premier League standings that indicate Arsenal is the team to beat from now until May.

While Gunners fans may wish to downplay the expectations for a squad worth over £800 million and valued at approximately £1.1 billion, it is undeniable the quality they have assembled.

Even a year ago, if Arteta lost a key player for an extended period, it was evident.

This season, Arsenal can deploy players like Player A, Player B, Player C, or Player D.

With no apparent solution for how to counter Arsenal’s attack when Player E or Saka delivers a corner, confidence should be steadily increasing.

Of course, Arsenal has faced similar situations in the past.

On three occasions, they have been in prime position only to squander it.

The first instance was in 2008. With 12 games remaining, Arsenal held a five-point lead.

What followed was a collapse.

A win at Opponent was lost due to a foolish stoppage-time penalty, with captain William Gallas reacting by sprinting off to kick a pitch-side hoarding and then holding a tearful one-man protest in the center circle.

Gallas then had a fistfight with Gilberto in the locker room, and a string of three more draws and a loss at Chelsea proved fatal as the squad mentally disintegrated.

The Gunners have fallen short of silverware for the last three years.

Fast forward eight seasons. Arsenal fans — and others — still mock Tottenham with chants about them “coming third in a two-horse race.”

However, unlike that Spurs side, who were NEVER atop the table, Wenger’s squad was two points ahead of Opponent in January, only to embark on a run of just two wins in nine matches.

The unwanted hat-trick was completed under Arteta’s supervision three seasons ago.

As of early April 2023, after 29 matches, they were eight points clear, even though Opponent had a game in hand.

Only to drop nine points out of 12, culminating in a crushing 4-1 defeat at the Etihad, which irretrievably shifted the momentum.

Yet this time, the vulnerabilities of their rivals bolster Arsenal’s position even further.

Opponent’s defensive weaknesses arise as Manager tries to build his own squad rather than adapt the one he inherited from Previous Manager.

City, even with the Norwegian goal-machine Player F as a renewed force, are attempting to reinvent themselves without the certainty that a fit Player G would bring.

Chelsea remains inconsistent, Spurs are still a work in progress, while it’s hard to envision the likes of Crystal Palace or Opponent maintaining the pace.

Arteta had his famous lightbulb moment a few years back.

But he has never had a better opportunity to end that Premier League title drought.