When Arsenal followers quiet down for his or her Christmas dinner this yr, they will achieve this figuring out their group are sitting fairly on the prime of the Premier League desk.
It wasn’t at all times a certainty. The Gunners had been momentarily dislodged on Saturday afternoon when Manchester Metropolis romped to a 3-0 victory over West Ham United on the Etihad.
But a few hours later and normality, a minimum of this season, was restored. Arsenal’s 1-0 win on their first go to to Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium despatched them proper again to the highest of the league, two factors away from Metropolis and three of Aston Villa.
Granted, it isn’t fairly the six-point lead they held on the finish of November however that is the Premier League. No aspect goes via a complete marketing campaign and not using a blip, a minimum of not anymore. Arsenal’s blip – in case you may even name it that – in fact coming at Villa Park a few weeks in the past.
However Gunners know all too effectively that you just win nothing for being prime whereas Santa delivers his presents. In reality, Arsenal have by no means gained the Premier League once they’ve been in pole place at Christmas.
First, they let a lead which stretched to some eight factors slip to Manchester United in 2002-03 earlier than repeating that feat 5 years later in 2007-08. Extra just lately, Arsenal followers will not have forgotten their woes in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Arsenal’s 1-0 win on their first go to to Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium despatched them proper again to the highest of the league
However the final 4 instances the Gunners had been prime at Christmas, they did not convert their lead right into a title
Nevertheless the North London membership’s post-Christmas hunch is a pattern which stretches again past the inception of the Premier League.
Arsenal have, in accordance with Opta Evaluation, extremely did not win the league on the final seven events they’ve led on December 25. You must return so far as 1947-48 to search out the final time the Gunners lifted the highest flight trophy after main at Christmas.
So for all of Mikel Arteta’s plaudits – and there have been many – it seems as if being prime at Christmas means nothing in any respect.
In reality, of the 126 seasons of English prime flight soccer which have been performed since 1888, the aspect on the prime of the desk on December 25 has solely gone on to win the title on 56 events. That is simply 44 per cent of the time.
In the event you look solely on the Premier League period, 17 of the 33 (51.5 per cent) groups to have spent Christmas prime have gone on to win the league.
And greater leads than Arsenal’s have been blown in years gone-by. Take Newcastle United’s capitulation in 1995-96 as a major instance.
When the clock struck midnight on 25 December, 1995, Kevin Keegan’s Magpies seemed as if they had been on the verge of ending their 69-year watch for the Premier League title. 10 factors they sat away from Man United.
Man United overturned a 12-point deficit on Newcastle United to win the league in 1996
Two days later they confronted the Crimson Devils and misplaced 2-0, however they might go on to revive their result in some 12 factors earlier than Sir Alex Ferguson performed his well-known thoughts video games on the Newcastle boss.
‘I would adore it if we beat them,’ Keegan blurted after his aspect blew their lead in April 1996.
They did not, and United went on to carry the Premier League trophy after an nearly extraordinary comeback.
Historical past subsequently clearly means that it’s miles from a foregone conclusion that Arsenal will finish their greater than 20-year watch for the Premier League trophy this marketing campaign.
However do not be fooled into pondering Mikel Arteta is not conscious of this. The Spaniard was requested solely final week about what being prime of the league after 18 matches means for his aspect’s title aspirations.
His response: ‘What offers me perception and confidence is the extent of efficiency and the consistency of that.
‘That is very, very troublesome to do on this league and that implies that the group is consistently there. Benefit from the technique of successful and you are going to must go to troublesome locations, you are going to have troublesome moments, we’ve handled a number of issues already and we’re there.
The title race may come all the way down to April 18, when Metropolis and Arsenal face one another on the Etihad
‘And what we will do is figure for the subsequent recreation, attempt to enhance and make it possible for everyone is with that spirit and power and having fun with that.’
For Arteta, this season is make-or-break.
For all of his good work since he took over a dire Arsenal aspect in 2019, the membership are and not using a trophy for some 5 years since they beat Chelsea within the FA Cup ultimate of 2020.
They could be in pole place to finish that drought, although they will must buck an historic pattern to take action.
