An international break gives one an opportunity to appreciate the wonderful three-way title race underway in the English Premier League. If one is lucky, there could be two teams going toe to toe in a season. But three teams within one point of each other with 10 games to go is a rare phenomenon.
Manchester City and Liverpool have been there and done that in the last few years. Pep Guardiola is going for his fourth straight crown, while Jurgen Klopp’s men have pushed City to the limit, even upstaging them in the 2019-20 season.
In that sense, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is the new factor in the equation – something akin to Novak Djokovic emerging to challenge the duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The last time the Gunners reigned supreme in the Premier League was 20 years ago when they remained invincible throughout the campaign. But they were not a major factor in the title race for a long time, and when they were so last year, they faltered on the home stretch after being at the top of the table for most of the season. Till they actually get over the finish line, there will always be a question of whether they can actually do it. Arsenal have scored more goals and conceded fewer than any other team in the division, but the fact that they lead the table merely on goal difference ahead of Liverpool shows the quality of contenders they are up against.
Guardiola is one of the greatest football minds ever, and those who have played under him vouch for his philosophy and impact on their game and lives. As far as the Catalan is concerned, the expectation is that his teams will win and in a style that will have purists purring.
It doesn’t hurt that he has the players to implement his ideas on the pitch. Phil Foden has become a formidable player under Guardiola’s watch, and with Kevin de Bruyn and Bernardo Silva also pulling strings in midfield, City never have a problem creating chances.
Erling Haaland broke all sorts of records when he came to the Premier League, and the standards he has set can be gauged by speculation about a lean patch if the Norwegian goes more than a couple of games without finding the net.
Star manager
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the biggest asset at Liverpool’s disposal is their manager. The force of Klopp’s character and the passion he brings to the job is second to none. It’s no surprise that the Reds often score vital goals deep into injury time as the German coach and his team keep going without giving up on any assignment. When Klopp steps down at the end of the current season, it will really be the end of a formidable era in Liverpool’s history, and whoever comes in will have incredibly big shoes to fill.
Players like Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are the rocks on which the team is based while stalwarts such as Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Luis Diaz can always make things happen at the other end of the pitch, whatever the situation of the game.
Liverpool may also be helped by the fact that they don’t feature in the UEFA Champions League as the continental competition enters its business end. Klopps’ team is in the Europa League, but sides in that tournament are not at their level. Both Arsenal and Man City are in the Champions League quarterfinals and face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively. Those high-profile games will be front and centre in their minds when they get closer.
In comparison to the two powerhouses, Arsenal’s largely young squad has yet to cement its legacy. In Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, they have two leaders on the pitch, a facet in which the club had often been found wanting, especially in the last few years of Arsene Wenger’s reign. The 105 million pounds spent on Rice is an eye-watering amount, but the midfielder has been a great return on investment with not just his skills on the ball and reading of the game but also as a player who steps up on the big occasion.
Defence the key
Keeping it tight at the back is a prerequisite for title-winning sides. A lot was said when David Raya was brought from Brentford despite Aaron Ramsdale having had a pretty good season between the posts. A lot of analysts thought it was an own-goal on Arteta’s part, but the Spanish goalkeeper has proved his worth. The backline of William Saliba, Ben White, and Gabriel Magalhaes has been difficult to breach.
Kai Havertz seems to have finally got his footing in the Premier League, but it’s upfront that Arsenal seem to possess a cutting edge, despite not having a designated centre-forward. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli have kept opposition defences on their toes, but the biggest plus point for Arsenal is that goals have come from all over the pitch.
Someone like Leandro Trossard doesn’t always get into the starting XI but comes up with vital goals in important matches.
Arteta, a former Arsenal player, was an assistant to Guardiola at Man City before returning as the Gunners coach. The two teams will meet in a blockbuster clash at City’s Etihad Stadium on March 31. It would be an acid test for Arsenal as it would show whether they can stay the course when the stakes are highest and the pressure at its most intense.