We are now in the middle of the competition, and things are getting more interesting, especially when it comes to the battle for first place. Both the top and the bottom of the league are quite surprising. No one expected to see Wolves and Everton fighting for survival, while Arsenal at the first position is also a huge surprise.
The same is for Newcastle, which is showing some great performances this season. According to trends in previous years, the team that is first around Christmas usually wins the title. Arsenal has a nice advantage of five points ahead of the first runner-up. However, the runner-up is Manchester City, and this team can follow and overscore that difference.
Another interesting detail is the odds provided by bookies that are still going in favor of Manchester City, with an average one of around 1.6 for them, while the odds for Arsenal are closer to 3. If you are interested in betting, remember that choosing the right platform is very important. If you want to bet by using crypto, check out Stake.
Moreover, we will analyze the best teams in the Premier League and compare them to City to see if there is still a real chance for this club to win another title.
Can Arsenal Keep the First Place?
There are different factors that could affect their performance in the following games. The good side for them is that they are not playing in the Champions League, which means that they can keep their best players in a better condition. They still have a bench that can help in the Europa League, and that should not be a problem.
Arteta is proving that he is a great manager, and we think that he will aim for the title in both competitions. Winning PL will be a huge success for this team, and something no one expected before the start of the season.
Still, there are 19 more games to be played, and a lot of things can change during this time. Arsenal has a decent advantage, but losing two games by the end might cost them the title, but only in case that City manages to win each game by the end.
Man City Has the Experience and Quality
This is not the first time where Arsenal was holding the first place for a longer time, and then losing it due to poor results caused by injuries, lack of proper tactics, and even bad luck. On the other side, City is known for pushing and forcing the best results in each game, and the most important thing is that they have players for that.
Guardiola will push hard to win the CL this season, but that does not mean that he will sacrifice the PL title. Also, we have to add that they might have needed more luck in the first part of the season since there were some draws where they were pushing hard, but simply couldn’t score.
Again, the difference is only five points, which means that Arsenal can lose the first place by losing two games. Even though they have a great team, managing to win all 19 games will be difficult for them as it is for Man City.
It will be crucial for the blues from Manchester to win against Arsenal. After that, they only need to keep winning against other clubs hoping that Arsenal will face another loss. The Premier League is known as one of the most difficult championships where even clubs in the bottom can be a threat. Therefore, a five point difference is not a big deal.
We have to add that Newcastle can be considered as one of the favorites for the title. They have a very strong defense with only 11 goals taken. They are 4 points behind City. Besides that, Newcastle has a much easier schedule in the following weeks, while things are much more difficult for Arsenal and City.
First of all, there is a double gameweek that we are expecting, and City will play against Manchester United and Tottenham. Both of these clubs are tough opponents, and things might become clearer after the end of gameweek 20. The interesting detail is that Arsenal is playing against Tottenham in the gameweek 20, and United in 21.
Therefore, it will be a serious test where we can see who is more capable of keeping the position and potentially winning the title. The gameweeks 20 and 21 are especially interesting due to the long-lasting rivalry between City and United, and Arsenal and Tottenham on the other side. These rivals will try everything to prevent their biggest rivals from keeping the advantage.
Furthermore, the first game between Arsenal and Tottenham ended well for the reds from London since they won 3-1. Still, if you check the trends in previous years, you will notice how important this game is when they are playing at home. Most of the results are in the favor of the team that is playing at home ground.
When it comes to rivals from Manchester, City managed to win five games in a row against the reds, and it was more than two years ago when they lost to them the previous time. United has some ups and downs this season, but we expect them to prepare properly for the derby. Odds to win for United are dropping down at Stake.
Last Words
There are still a lot of games to be played by the end of the season, which means lots of points are in stake. A lot of things are in the hands of the City. It is questionable whether it is real to expect that Arsenal can win all games by the end. On the other side, it is more possible for City, especially if superstars like Haaland and De Bruyne continue with good form.
In that matter, the few of the following games in the next week or two can change a lot of things. The good part for City is that these tough games are before the CL, which continues in February.