When 2022 ended and we entered 2023, most Gooners thought this would be their year. The Gunners started 2023 as league leaders, and the goal was that they could keep pushing until they won the league title in May.
That wasn’t possible due to injuries and failing to win when they needed to win, like in the games in April (against Liverpool 2-2, Southampton 3-3, and West Ham 2-2), causing them to miss out on the 2022–23 league title by 5 points.
Having said that, they are in another title race. After dealing with West Ham and Fulham in the next few days, they should be at the top of the table at the start of 2024. Then comes the difficult task of maintaining the title chase.
So do you believe this Arsenal team has what it takes to sustain the title charge and eventually win the league based on what you’ve seen from them so far? I certainly hope so, as I’ve had my usual bet on both The Arsenal Men and the Arsenal Women to both win the title this season in a double. As i always do my bets on football betting at Betiton Ireland they can expect to be paying me out a nice little sum at the end of the season.
I have been given extra confidence when listening to Ian Ladyman, the football editor of Mail Sport, who believes 2024 could be Arsenal’s year. He claims the Gunners now have great mental strength, which some claimed they lacked last season, that they have what it takes to sustain the Premier League title chase, and that they are hungrier this time around.
He believes Arsenal are the true Premier League title contenders, something he does not see in Manchester City at the moment. Notably, Ladyman believes Arsenal has become wiser in making tiny tactical moves that influence the game, as well as having a reliable defence, which is an ideal basis for a title push.
“I see a greater mental strength about Arsenal this season,” Ladyman said on Its All Kicking Off podcast. “They’ve got stickability. I think they’ve trained on from last year.
“They were very close last year, and if we can see that Man City are not quite the team they were last year, then that tells you that it could be very close.
“To me right now, I’d say that if I was going to pick a real challenger, it would be Arsenal. I’m surprised that I’m saying that. I didn’t expect it.
“I just look at Arsenal, and I see a team that stepped up from last season.
“We’ve talked about the fact that they’re meaner across the back. I think they’re smarter. I think they’ve got a little bit more devil about them.
“I think they do the slightly dirtier parts of the game better, and, you know, not necessarily to sing the praises of things like little tactical fouls, but Manchester City have been doing it for years.
“Just to explain, a tactical foul is generally accepted to be one of those that, maybe a trip on a breaking play or a little obstruction, or a tug of the shirt. All top teams do it.”
I was encouraged when I first heard Ladyman’s admissions concerning Arteta and the boys and I hope they instill confidence in all of us Gooners as we approach 2024, and the least we can expect is another exciting 5 months of great football from The Arsenal and hopefully a trophy or two at the end of it.
