Why Arsenal Might Not Emerge As The Premier League Champions For The 2022/2023 Campaign 

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The 2022/2023 Premier League season has been so good for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his men which saw them cliched eight wins from their first nine Premier League outings. 

Arsenal got the new Premier League campaign off to a strong start with a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace on August 5, 2022. 

Arteta looking sad after losing a match

The two sides got the new season underway with a clash at Selhurst Park that saw Mikel Arteta’s team take the maximum three points. 

Their recent victory came on Sunday 9th of October 2022 at the Emirates Stadium where they defeated Liverpool by 3-2. 

However, the last club to start a Premier League season with eight wins from their first nine games and later end up losing the title was Arsenal. 

Manchester United Van Nistelrooy celebrating after scoring

Here is how the Gunners lost the title race in a similar scenerio

There have been several seasons throughout Arsene Wenger’s lengthy stint at the club where the team came within a whisker of winning the league from a strong position. 

If they make another mistake this season and allow Manchester City or another Premier League team to win the league title with all the great favorites waning, it will be viewed as the greatest opportunity lost. 

In the 2007–2008 Premier League season, Arsenal had a very strong start but ended up coming distance third after topping the table in the first few months of the season. 

Arsenal player against Everton

Wenger’s late-noughties team only had one chance to win the league title in the 2007–2008 season as the effects of the post-Emirates self-denial era began to bite. 

They appeared to be destined to succeed for a while. They started the season unbeaten and spent most of the season (mid-September to early March) at the top of the table. For the duration of the season, they went unbeaten at home. 

The turning point came in a late-season draw with soon-to-be relegated Birmingham; as a result, Manchester United gained the upper hand in the league and went on to win the competition.

Gallas looking depressed after losing a match

 

Following Birmingham’s equalising goal on a penalty kick, Arsenal captain William Gallas had an epic meltdown by refusing to leave the field after the final whistle. 

Arsenal declined; Chelsea and Manchester United distanced themselves. The Gunners finished the season with 83 points, four fewer than Alex Ferguson’s team, who finished first. 

Arsenal placed fourth in 2013–14. 

Arsenal
Arsene Wenger giving instructions to Arsenal players

It’s simple to overlook the fact that Arsenal led the league for 128 days during the 2013/2014 campaign. 

Wenger’s team found consistency in the winter and steadily mounted to the top of the league, despite being exposed in a 6-3 loss to Man City in December. Everything was going so nicely. 

Then they traveled to Anfield and suffered a 5-1 defeat. What happened next was awful. 

Arsenal
Wenger in Arsenal training ground

With successive losses to Stoke and Everton as well as a devastating 6-0 beating at the hands of Chelsea, the hope of winning the league for the first time since 2004 was dashed. 

Arsenal finished the campaign in fourth place, seven points off the lead. 

Second-place Arsenal in the 1998–1999 season. 

Arsenal
Martnelli celebrating after Arsenal win

This was Arsenal’s first missed opportunity under Wenger, and it was a significant one. 

Arsenal managed to overtake Manchester United in the last game, despite playing against perhaps the best Manchester United team in Premier League history. In their final two games, they just needed victories over Aston Villa and Leeds United to repeat as champions. 

Unfortunately, Manchester United barely missed out on the league title after a 1-0 loss to Leeds. That was true despite them playing Arsenal twice and losing both times. 

Manchester United ultimately won the triple crown. Wenger had to be furious. 

Arsenal finished second in 2002-2003 season

This is yet another disputed one, but once more, we believe it merits inclusion. 

Arsenal
Arsenal players celebrating

With a memorable 3-0 victory over Spurs in the middle of November, Arsenal rose to the top of the league and held that position into early April. 

Unfortunately, Man United won the Premier League title by a comfortable 5 points as a result of two pointless draws with Aston Villa and Bolton (plus a 3-2 home loss to Leeds).

So far in 2022-2023 season

So far in the 2022-2023 season, Arsenal have recorded 8 wins and just a defeat in their 9 Premier League games. Their superb start has earned them 24 points so far.

Arsenal are currently topping the Premier League table with a point above second placed Manchester City, and 4 points above third placed Tottenham.

Now, the question is, how long can Arsenal hold on to this position before history repeat itself again and the club get overthrown by Manchester City or other clubs in the league before January?

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