Arsenal are left with only the Premier League to focus on after losing their second Champions League game against Barcelona. It`s hard to find a positive side in what happened with the Gunners during the past couple of weeks as they have lost 5 out of their 8 games. To make matters even worse, three of those games were in the knockout stages of the FA Cup and the Champions League. There’s only the Premier League left to focus on right now which might be a good thing though. It`s hard to believe that with all the injuries and the lot problems, Wenger would have been able to go all the way in Europe. It is also hard to believe that again, given the lot problems, Arsenal could have managed both the FA Cup and the Premier League.
What can Arsenal do now that they are only involved in the Premier League though? They are 11 points behind Leicester and even with the 1 game difference, there’s still a huge gap between the Londoners and 1st place. Will it matter if they finish 2nd of 3rd? Maybe, but from a financial point of view. Other than that fans could not care less if the team is 2nd or 3rd because it`s not 1st place. So with that in mind, is there any chance for Arsenal to win the Premier League? Mathematically speaking there is but it’s hard to believe Leicester will many of all the games left out of the season.
Let’s take a look at where Arsenal could close the gap and what could help them win the title. Again, it`s hard to believe Leicester will drop the ball but still, if there`s a chance that can happen, it would be good to know what to watch.
vs Everton (away) – this is probably the 3rd hardest game Arsenal will have out of the last 9. If Wenger manages to recover the players’ morale after what happened against Barcelona a win is definitely possible. Everton have little to think about in the Premier League and will be focusing on the FA Cup thus giving Wenger’s side a chance to start their 9 game campaign in a positive tone.
vs Watford (home) – again, Watford just like Everton will probably be focusing on the FA Cup as there’s little for them to get out of the Premier League. There’s also the extra motivation for the Gunners after being eliminated by the Hornets.
vs West Ham (away) – this is the 2nd hardest game left of the season. Arsenal lost to West Ham at home back in August and will have a difficult time securing a win. The Hammers are on a hot streak since eliminating Liverpool from the FA Cup. They defeated Spurs and Everton as well and ended the game against United. Arsenal need to be completely focused against this side and hope that the extra games from the FA Cup will influence the way their adversaries play.
vs Crystal Palace (H), West Brom (H), Snderland (A), Norwich (H) and Aston Villa (H) – If Arsenal really want to win the Premier League, there should not be any problem when facing any of these teams. Sure, they are struggling to stay in the Premier League, but their poor performances and lack of form should allow the Gunners to gain maximum of points which is 15.
vs Manchester City (A) – This is the toughest game on the list theoretically. City are right there next to Arsenal and want the same thing as the Gunners. Hopefully Arsenal could recreate the excellent performance that got them a 2-1 home win back in December.
Now let`s take a look at where Leicester could lose points:
If the stars align for Arsenal, Leicester could lose as much as 12 points against Chelsea, Everton, United and West Ham. Southampton could also cause them some problems as they were only able to draw while playing at home against the Saints. Even though it`s a stretch, Arsenal could still get something out of this season. That something could be the Premier League which is probably the most important trophy for Wenger.