The Gunners have struggled recently, with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea leaving them nine points behind league leaders Liverpool and four points short of second-place Manchester City.
After narrowly missing out last season, Mikel Arteta’s side had hoped to push further, but so far, they have been overshadowed by Arne Slot’s impressive Liverpool team. ..Continue Reading
Arsenal are winless in their last four Premier League matches, including losses to Newcastle and Bournemouth. Meanwhile, Liverpool have capitalized on City’s back-to-back league defeats and recently defeated Aston Villa 2-0, extending their lead at the top.
Reflecting these developments, Opta’s supercomputer now gives Arsenal only a 5% chance of winning the title, in contrast to Liverpool, who have a 60.3% chance of staying on top.
Manchester City’s odds of a fifth consecutive title have dropped to 34.3%, possibly affected by recent losses to Brighton and Bournemouth.
According to Opta, Arsenal are now more likely to finish third, with a 52.3% chance of that outcome, even though they currently sit in fourth.
Chelsea, currently holding third, are projected to secure the final Champions League spot but have a slim 0.3% chance of winning the title.
These projections have shifted significantly since the start of the season. On August 15, before the league began, City was heavily favored with an 82.2% chance of finishing first, while Arsenal had a 12.2% chance.
Liverpool, expected to face challenges with a managerial change, was given just a 5.1% chance of lifting the trophy. However, Liverpool’s smooth transition under Slot has seen them secure 28 points out of 33.
Despite Arsenal’s recent struggles, former England player Michael Owen believes they still have a chance after regaining stability with the draw against Chelsea, following tough losses to Newcastle and Inter Milan.
Speaking on Premier League Productions after the London derby, the ex-Liverpool hero said of the gap at the league table: “It’s nine points, but it was a big step forward today.
“That was a good performance today. It feels like they were back in business today, that was Arsenal again today.
“In recent weeks it’s not really looked like Arsenal. The creativity has not been there.”
Owen also pointed to the recent return of Martin Odegaard as a reason for the Gunners to remain optimistic, with £34million signing Riccardo Calafiori also set to be fit after the international break.
He added: “It’s nine points, yes, but it feels like their big players are coming back, confidence is coming back.
“It looks to me like they’re going to start picking up points very soon.”
