Coach Mikel Arteta may never have a better chance to win the Premier League. And if Arsenal cannot win the title this season, it is entire to question whether they are truly capable of reaching that title under Arteta.
This will be a big test of Arsenal's true courage and quality, because the Premier League championship race is becoming extremely fierce. From a position that seemed ready to break away, now the gap between the top three teams is only 3 points, with Manchester City and Aston Villa sticking close behind with no small pressure.
In particular, Man City continues to show the image of a formidable force. Erling Haaland is in a destructive scoring form, Phil Foden is finding his best version, while a new generation of talents has added confidence for Pep Guardiola to aim for the throne.
Aston Villa also created a big surprise with an impressive series of victories, while Arsenal began to show concern and instability in their own performance.
"We played better and created more chances in the second half, but then there were two or three minutes of passive defense, lacking flexibility and not meeting the necessary standards, especially when the previous opponent had not had a shot.
The first time they had a chance, they scored. That is the Premier League. We were lucky to score the decisive goal and felt relieved, but there are still many things to improve" - Arteta said after the win over Wolves.
In the last 3 seasons, Arsenal have been second. twice overtaken by Man City in the decisive stage and last season was a defeat in the race with Liverpool. This past summer, the Gunners' leadership has spent a lot of money to ensure that this time the opportunity will belong to them, especially when Liverpool has declined significantly. However, few people expected Man City to still maintain their fearsome strength, while Aston Villa emerged as a real opponent.
It is undeniable that Arteta has done an impressive job of reviving Arsenal and turning them into candidates competing for titles in both the Premier League and Champions League. The biggest challenge at the moment is the ability to maintain the spirit and confidence of the players after many missed appointments with glory.
The continued commitment of key players like William Saliba to the future shows that the club still has great confidence in the coach and long-term project.
However, a long injury list is becoming a serious problem, threatening to weaken Arsenal for the second consecutive season. Against Wolves, they played slowly, heavily and were under a lot of pressure, although they still won a narrow victory. Those signs are clearly worrying.
Arsenal have only won 2 points out of the maximum 9 points in the last 3 away matches, and they are not allowed to stumble further against Everton. Also questions need to be raised about the "Gunners'" physical management. The large number of injuries cannot only be blamed for bad luck, but also reflect signs of overload and fatigue.
The upcoming festive period will be decisive for Arsenal. Everton, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Aston Villa are waiting ahead. Arsenal need convincing performances and strong results to affirm their ambition to win the championship in a season that can shape Arteta's entire reign.
