da betway： Arsenal have dragged themselves to the top of the table on goal difference over a Christmas period where they beat Manchester City and Bournemouth, yet stuffed between those two wins was a very unconvincing performance in a heavy defeat to Southampton.
da roleta： It’s results like that that make people doubt Arsenal’s ability to win the title – yet there they are, atop the final league table of the year.
Inconsistency hasn’t really been Arsenal’s problem for the last decade or so without getting their hands on the famous trophy with the golden crown. After all, Arsenal have consistently fallen apart around the time of the Champions League last-16 stage.
Though it is their ability to go the whole season without finding themselves in a slump so severe that it costs them a title challenge and, setting aside the previous two seasons, any kind of meaningful silverware at all, that has been Arsenal’s undoing.
This season, it might not be a full-on slump that sees Arsenal throw away what is perhaps their best chance of winning the Premier League crown in years. Arsenal managed only two points in November, and that defeat against Southampton brings back the doubts we had then – even if they are now top dogs.
But it should be remembered that November and early December was certainly about winning the games to get themselves into the Champions League knockout stages rather than concentrating on the league as such. They managed to get the results they needed, though we thought their luck had dried up given their draw against Barcelona in the next round.
Yet they find themselves top of the league after Leicester’s two games without a win, as well as some poor results from Manchester City and Manchester United. Surely that means the luck hasn’t run out.
But in fact, it’s the inconsistency of every team around the top of the league that has given Arsenal their great chance of winning the title. They are simply the most consistent of the bunch this season, even if they still show their ability to be thumped away to Southampton – remember, that was their first win since November 7th.
It wasn’t just the defeat, though, it was the manner of the defeat. Arsenal looked second best all game, and even if there were some refereeing errors that led to Southampton’s goals, in truth Arsenal can’t really complain about being beaten given how poor they were.
In seasons gone by a performance like that would almost have ruled Arsenal out of the title reckoning, even at this stage. The pundits would be turning their noses up, with everyone saying that title-winning teams don’t get thumped like that. But this season is different. Manchester City have been thumped by large scorelines. Manchester United have failed to score in seven Premier League games so far this season. Chelsea are simply awful. Liverpool blow hot and cold, too. Every team you would usually class as a title contender is slipping up now and again.
The most consistent of the bunch is Leicester – but Arsenal find themselves above even the sensational Foxes now.
This season could be Arsenal’s year not because they are brilliant, not because they are one of the best sides the Premier League has ever seen, but simply because no other team deserves those adjectives either.
But there’s still half a season to go. Half a season for a team to show some consistency and put together a run of wins. If someone can do that, they’ll probably win the league.
If one team goes on a run, Arsenal – on this form – are too consistent to win the league. As usual. But this time they only have to be consistent over half a season – and they can usually manage that.
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