One reason for every other Prem club to want Arsenal to bottle it in the title race
It feels like it’s Arsenal against the world in the title race, with the rest of the Premier League seemingly rooting against Mikel Arteta’s side. But why?
First things first, Arsenal throwing away the title when they were well clear of Manchester City would undeniably be the outcome with the most intrinsic comedy value for a neutral. Just imagine.
Elsewhere, the footballing purists who decry Arteta’s ever more cautious style of play would prefer to not see those tactics rewarded.
But why would those with an affinity to any of the other 19 Premier League clubs want to see Arsenal overthrown?
We’ve picked out an entirely serious reason why each of Arsenal’s Premier League opponents should want them to bottle it.
Aston Villa – the Emery effect
Villa boss Unai Emery preceded Arteta in the Arsenal dugout, but could only finish fifth in his one full season in charge.
His reputation has since been restored with a Europa League win for Villarreal and, since his return to English football, his work in establishing Villa as regular contenders to finish in the European places.
In the bigger picture, does it make Emery look better if his successor fails to reach the promised land of winning the Premier League with Arsenal?
Maybe, maybe not. A manager can be good enough in one role and not good enough in another. But in theory, if Arsenal’s ceiling is second, it may prove that Emery wasn’t totally out of his depth at the Emirates.
Regardless, now he’s Villa’s and they’re all the more glad for it.
Bournemouth – Kepa-based revenge
Bournemouth were grateful for the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal while on loan from Chelsea, before Arsenal signed him to become their backup goalkeeper.
The Cherries were only borrowing the Spaniard but could rightly feel aggrieved at losing their starter so he could warm a bench and bring further shame upon the good name of Carabao.
It’s also worth noting that Bournemouth’s recent win over Arsenal represented the league leaders’ first loss for a couple of months. For bragging rights, Bournemouth could say their victory instigated the downfall.
They would also surely be proud to see Antoine Semenyo winning a title with City immediately after his January move.
Brentford – Norgaard-based revenge
Brentford were deprived of their captain in the summer when the Arsenal vultures swooped for Christian Norgaard.
The Danish midfielder is yet to start a league game for the Gunners after starting 34 for Brentford last season.
Keith Andrews’ side haven’t necessarily missed him too much while defying the doubters – and do have City still to play – but wouldn’t be blamed for any lingering bitterness about losing Norgaard just for him to be used like a spare part.
Brighton – the Hurzeler tears
Fabian Hurzeler was fuming with Arsenal’s approach in their 1-0 win over Brighton last month.
“I think there was only one team who tried to play football today,” the Brighton boss complained, raising complaints over Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics.
“If the Premier League, if the referee allows everything then it’s difficult, then they make their own rules. At the moment I have the feeling Arsenal are doing their own rules, no matter how they are playing,” he added.
While Hurzeler did offer the caveat that “if they win the Premier League, no-one will ask how they win the Premier League,” it seems clear that Arsenal’s approach was the antithesis to his own – even with the German’s subsequent apology.
Burnley – a Trafford windfall
Burnley look doomed and could well be down by the time they visit Arsenal for their penultimate game of the season. But if not and there’s a faint chance of a great escape, they’ll have an obvious reason to want to cause an upset.
Besides, could there be some add-ons relating to a Premier League title win in the deal that sent James Trafford to City in the summer.
Chelsea – because it’s Arsenal
There are reports that Chelsea do not like Arsenal – although if Arteta wins the title with a load of Stamford Bridge outcasts he might genuinely spend £427m on Alejandro Garnacho in an obsessive haze.
Crystal Palace – trophy banter
Palace are the side against whom City have their game in hand, while they will also welcome Arsenal to Selhurst Park on the final day of the season. Burnley are the only other side who still have both title contenders to play.
Palace have sold a player each to City and Arsenal within the past 12 months, with Eberechi Eze ending up at the Emirates and Marc Guehi at the Etihad.
There were joys of becoming a trophy-winning side last summer for Palace thanks to their FA Cup success, but they crashed out against Macclesfield in their defence of the trophy.
Arsenal were the team that ended their other domestic cup hope via a penalty shootout in the EFL Cup quarter-final. That and Palace being able to boast about winning a trophy more recently than Arsenal if they fail to win the Premier League or Champions League is reason enough to cheer on City.
Everton – Arteta rejection
Everton were on course for a valuable point against Arsenal recently until falling to goals conceded in the 89th and 97th minute.
Those two dropped points could prove costly in their push for European qualification after a season of progress under David Moyes.
Incidentally, what progress would Everton have made if they’d landed Arteta for themselves in 2019? Their former midfielder was supposedly close to taking the job before Arsenal got him instead.
Everton weren’t too miffed at the time as they ended up with Carlo Ancelotti, but may occasionally wonder what would have happened in a parallel universe where Arteta chose them over Arsenal.
Fulham – another three points
The race for European football is so tight that a Fulham side currently in the bottom half are just three points away from a potential Conference League berth.
If they could claim three points against Arsenal at the start of May, it could ensure they still have something to play for over the last few weeks of the season, rather than merely ambling to their usual mid-table finish.
Leeds United – humiliations and Haaland
Leeds’ record against some of the so-called bigger teams this season has been positive. None of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have managed to beat them.
With an aggregate scoreline of 9-0, though, Arsenal are arguably the only team to have completely outclassed Leeds this season – not once, but twice.
The bond between Erling Haaland and Leeds would also be a reason to sway the Elland Road faithful towards rooting for City in the title race.
Liverpool – Pep-beating pride
The last eight Premier League champions have been: Manchester City, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester City, Manchester City, Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Reds can take pride in being the only team other than City to have won the league in that timeframe of Pep Guardiola dominance.
Liverpool have little to celebrate this season, having failed miserably to defend their title, but it would look better on them to remain the only team to have toppled City.
Manchester City – N/A
Can’t think of anything; City would surely stay humble if Arsenal triumphed.
Manchester United – bragging rights
As City’s local rivals, United wouldn’t exactly be celebrating their noisy neighbours getting their hands on the trophy instead of Arsenal. But their relations with Arsenal haven’t historically been too positive, either.
The unfortunate reality for United is that the sight of City lifting the trophy is one they have got used to in the years since they last did so themselves in 2013.
And yet United have still won the league more recently than Arsenal. Five times, in fact.
Forget the caveat of the title going to City instead; that has to be something for United to cling on to, even if just as a distraction from their own long wait for a league title.
Newcastle United – Tonali payback
All that noise on deadline day about Sandro Tonali potentially moving to Arsenal won’t have been taken to too kindly at St. James’ Park, even if it did turn out to be entirely agent-driven.
Nor will the previous efforts of the Arsenal board to fight back against the power of state-owned clubs like Newcastle and City, described as an ‘ongoing tension’ by The Independent in 2024.
Ideologically, Newcastle are more on City’s side than Arsenal’s. What’s more, conceding a 96th-minute winner to Arsenal in September after being 1-0 up with 10 minutes left will have hurt, kickstarting Newcastle’s run of dropping points from winning positions that has haunted them this season.
Nottingham Forest – Edu ache
Edu’s hit rate of Forest signings was bleak. His previous job, of course, was at Arsenal. So it was probably their fault that Arnaud Kalimuendo cost £26m.
Sunderland – the win drought
Having finally returned to the top flight this season after eight years in the wilderness, Sunderland still have not beaten Arsenal in the league since November 2009.
The only current Premier League club they are on a longer win drought against, stretching back to October 2004, are Brighton, but this season is their first in the same league as each other since then.
Tottenham Hotspur – erm…
If you’re going to be a big team that goes down in flames and suffers relegation – which Spurs very well might – then you’d best hope your biggest rivals don’t win the league at the same time.
For obvious reasons, Spurs fans have more reason than anyone else not to want Arsenal to win the league, regardless of whether they stay up themselves or not.
The mutual hatred between the two north London rivals means each will celebrate the other’s shortcomings. Spurs have had barely anything to celebrate this season; Arsenal winning the league would top it all off.
They have bigger things to worry about in terms of the direction their own club is heading, but Spurs supporters would find it impossible not to crack at least a smile at the prospect of an Arsenal capitulation.
And let’s not forget Arsenal’s hijack of the Eze transfer in the summer either. Would things have gone differently for Spurs if they’d signed him instead?
Safe to say Spurs have more than one reason to not want Arsenal to win the league.
West Ham United – the meme
Please don’t destroy the Declan Rice trophy meme now. It’s come this far.
WATCH: Declan Rice’s first and last ever trophy won as a professional player. pic.twitter.com/fML46xE5wk
— Central (@WestHam_Central) July 4, 2023
But in all seriousness, as one of Arsenal’s remaining opponents who still have something important to play for – Premier League survival – West Ham will be at least hoping to take points off Arteta’s men when they face off in the third-from-last game of the season.
Whether that would be enough to decide the title race in City’s favour will depend on other results, but West Ham won’t need the motivation.
There’s even a possibility that Arsenal could have won it by then. In which case, back to the Rice reason we go.
Wolves – pushing them close
Wolves will almost certainly drop to the Championship at the end of the season, but they gave Arsenal a game in both of their meetings this season.
First time around, Arsenal only won via an own goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Then in February, Wolves claimed a 2-2 draw thanks to an equaliser at the same late stage.
It gave Wolves the last laugh as their social media team then mocked Arsenal’s unsuccessful gamesmanship.
Besides, Wolves could be entitled to some add-ons for Rayan Ait-Nouri’s transfer to City last summer. We’re speculating again, but could a Premier League title for City be one of the factors?
READ NEXT: Ranking the 25 Arsenal bottlejobs from Max Dowman to Mikel Arteta