What Arsenal Needs to Do to Lift the EPL After 20 years
Week after week, The Gunners remain in the top spot of the English Premier League. 8 points may not be that much, but the fact that Arsenal is approaching the end of the season with serenity and tranquillity means a lot.
An example coming from Italy last season illustrates what The Gunners are trying to avoid: a situation of psychological pressure jeopardizing a team that is experiencing successful days if we consider only the sports aspect.
Also, we had an atypical season with a World Cup between November and December. The accumulated fatigue of the players and fitness, in general, are major concerns. The Gunners have transcended the tension of seeing a key player in the first part of the season, but their rivals to win the EPL title of 2022/23 have an experienced squad too.
Guardiola has at his disposal names like Mahrez and Foden that were very important to recent glories, and they often don’t even start the matches. Haaland also seems in top form, to the point of scoring 5 times in 60’ recently in the Champions League.
Planning well the use of key players is key at this stage of the season. Anyone that is thinking about how to make a habit of exercising has a notion that energy needs to be dosed, that a habit is built gradually and the body has a limit. But to professional footballers, the limits are much different. They are monitored constantly by big teams of physiologists. Injuries are prevented these days by dosing enzymes to detect when a player is on the verge of having a problem.
But even if The Gunners haven’t lifted the EPL trophy since 2003/04, the truth is any big club in Europe is expected to have a similar structure in this sense. So what has been the edge of Man City over other EPL clubs recently, to win 4 out of the last 5 Premiership trophies? What does Arsenal need to avoid to remain at the top?
Full Focus: The Edge of Arsenal Over Man City?
The Citizens are still involved in the Champions League and The FA Cup, while Arsenal is 100% focused in the EPL. Could this be a major factor that will determine the return of the EPL to North London?
History suggests that teams that have a more comfortable schedule tend to be more rested, and potentially have an edge over opponents that may have issues with injuries due to accumulated fatigue, not to mention psychological tiredness.
Summary
Arsenal will face the tension that is natural to any team with a big history, kind of coming back to their most glorious days. The Premier League, however, is incredibly competitive, and to remain the reigning Champions in case of victory this season will require a lot of investment and focus.
However, winning again the EPL will surely lift a burden and make The Gunners more confident for the 2023/24 season, not to mention the consolidation of Arteta as a professional top-level Manager.
