Arsenal face daunting prospect of four-year low and historic Premier League task
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are looking to snap a winless run of four Premier League games this weekend - but face a buoyant Nottingham Forest side who are looking to impose more misery
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorArsenal could be in unrecognisable waters come Monday night.
The years of mediocrity post Arsene Wenger are a thing of the past. The gloom that presided over the final days of Unai Emery 's tenure have been forgotten. Mikel Arteta has bought new hope, but even he is facing the prospect of five Premier League games without a win.
Arsenal have had to simmer on the point they got at Stamford Bridge for almost a fortnight ago. Arteta was slumped on the ground as the final whistle went with the visitors inches away from securing three points with the final kick of the game.
Instead that point came after losses at Newcastle, Bournemouth and a draw with Liverpool. The Reds themselves have raced clear, opening up a five point lead at the top as they surpass all expectations thus far.
Champions Manchester City, a side you don't want to be chasing, even given their poor form, are four points ahead of Arteta's men. And now high-flying Nottingham Forest come to the capital.
This next set of Premier League fixtures could end with a very gloomy picture painted in north London.
Arsenal in ninth?
Forest are certainly underdogs at the Emirates, but they look a team reborn this term. Defensively they're among the best in the country and Nuno Espirito Santo has them playing with a renewed confidence. They have an identical record to Arsenal and sit below them only on goal difference.
In fact, third to ninth is one tightly congested pit. Chelsea, currently sitting at the front of that pack, hold just a one point advantage over Aston Villa in ninth.
Premier League fixtures (top 10)
Saturday
Leicester vs Chelsea
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
Bournemouth vs Brighton
Fulham vs Wolves
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Man City vs Tottenham
Sunday
Liverpool vs Southampton
Monday
Newcastle vs West Ham
Now imagine this as a scenario. Arsenal are shocked by Nottingham Forest - but it gets worse. Fulham in seventh, eight-placed Newcastle and Villa in ninth are all at home - and will also fancy three points. Brighton in sixth make a short trip to Bournemouth, where they will back themselves to continue their good form.
Should those four win - ending with Newcastle potentially winning at home to West Ham on Monday night - and Arsenal lose then they will finish the game week in ninth. Even a draw would see them sink to eighth.
The last time the Gunners found themselves as low as ninth in was in late October 2021, after they'd just beaten Aston Villa. At that point they were something of a rebuild, rising up the table after a slow start to the campaign. On this occasion, they would be heading clearly in the wrong direction.
An example of just how long it has been since Arsenal sunk to depths that would be defined of mid-table. That same weekend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United lost 5-0 to Liverpool at home. Thomas Tuchel had Chelsea top of the pile - they've had five managers in the home dugout since.
It feels like a small lifetime ago and in footballing terms, it is. Arsenal though, having scaled back to the heights they'll say they belong at, could be taking an unwanted step back in time.
Mind the gap
Even more concerning for Arsenal, who Gary Neville has maintained can still win the league, could be the staggering gap at the top. A loss for the Gunners, even though they are favourites to see off Forest, and a win for Liverpool at Southampton would put the Reds 12 points clear of the north Londoners.
That, in Premier League terms anyway, is currently the magic number you don't want to exceed. No club has ever been more than 12 points short of top spot and gone on to become champions.
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester outfit twice pulled it off. Trailing Norwich by 12 points in 1992/93 and Newcastle by the same amount three years later. That though required quite the collapse from those who they were chasing.
If Arsenal want to become champions once again they should ideally not be wanting their rivals to leave the door ajar for them. Arteta himself will know that the volume around him is gathering, even if only slightly.
The Spaniard led the Gunners to the FA Cup in 2020, shortly after football resumed following the pandemic. Since then, despite plenty of patience and a chunk of cash, he's offered little in return. It would be interesting to know just how much value he places on the Community Shield he won in 2023.
Arsenal's unwanted predicament
Current table
3. Chelsea P11 Pts 19
4. Arsenal P11 Pts 19
5. Nottingham Forest P11 Pts 19
6. Brighton P11 Pts 19
7. Fulham P11 Pts 18
8. Newcastle P11 Pts 18
9. Aston Villa P11 Pts 18
Table if Arsenal lose and rivals win
3. Chelsea P12 Pts 22
4. Nottingham Forest P12 Pts 22
5. Brighton P12 Pts 22
6. Fulham P12 Pts 21
7. Newcastle P12 Pts 21
8. Aston Villa P12 Pts 21
9. Arsenal P12 Pts 19
Arteta and Arsenal have already given themselves a huge task if they want to eventually end a league title drought that stands at 20 years. The thought process going into this season was that the Gunners were the coming force. They missed out to City by five points two seasons ago, last term in was just two points.
This year though they've stalled. Albeit not helped by injuries and a host of referee decisions that, they will say, have left them hard done by. Arteta, after they dropped two points at Chelsea last time out, was asked how his team can look to close the gap on Liverpool and City.
"Win, win and win because these guys, they don’t stop winning, so that’s what we have to do," he said. He's not wrong.
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