Arsenal must win the Premier League this season.

28/10/2025 07:24:00 esportapi

The 1-0 win over Crystal Palace is crucial for Arsenal’s chances of realizing their Premier League title dream. They hold firm at the summit, 7 points clear of reigning champions Liverpool and 6 points ahead of Man City.

Coach Mikel Arteta emphasized that the narrow victory against their city rivals is the most significant for The Gunners so far, as it wasn’t an outstanding performance but they still overcame the opponent through character, organization, tactical discipline, and a solid football foundation.

Handling the "mid-table" challenge

Crystal Palace is a very tough opponent to manage. Oliver Glasner’s team took 23 shots in their match against Liverpool in late September, 7 on target, twice as many as The Kop. However, Palace only managed 4 shots towards David Raya’s goal at Emirates last weekend, with just 1 on target.

Glasner’s squad couldn’t play the way they did when beating Man City or Liverpool. But that wasn’t Palace’s problem because Arsenal were too solid. Arsenal have conceded only 3 goals in 13 matches across all competitions and kept their fifth consecutive clean sheet.

Arsenal scored 4 goals in a 14-minute explosive spell in the second half when they created a storm against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week. Yet on Sunday, it took them 33 minutes to register Trossard’s first shot on target. This means Arteta’s team can adjust their playing style, attacking or defensive rhythm, and adapt to any opponent. Only very strong teams can do this, like Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, Alex Ferguson’s Man United, and Man City’s treble-winning season.

Overall, Arsenal have always been a very strong collective team but lacked individual brilliance to solve tricky opponents. It is calculated that Arteta’s team dropped 23 points last season against teams such as Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and Brentford, earning only 16 out of a possible 36 points.

They even earned more points from the Big Six than from mid-table teams, with 21 out of 36 points possible. This tells the story of their ability to handle lower-ranked opponents.

This season, things are improving positively. They have taken the maximum 6 points from teams ranked 8th to 13th and a perfect 12 points from those ranked 14th to 20th. This detail shows Arsenal have made progress and have positively corrected previous shortcomings.

It is very hard to beat Arsenal right now unless they fail themselves.

The set-piece king

Eberechi Eze is made for matches like this. The number 10 didn’t even perform well in midfield before scoring. But he is the kind of player who decides games by instinct and talent rather than passing accuracy or carefully rehearsed team moves. The 27-year-old forward might lose the ball five times in a row, but on the sixth time, the ball will be in the opponent’s net.

This special quality makes Eze different from Arteta’s usual signings. The Spanish coach usually prefers a more stable, orthodox type of player—a forward who can repeat the same runs over and over and quickly learn tactical requirements. In contrast, Eze always plays with spontaneity.

While the set-piece that led to the English striker’s goal is a solution to finish tough matches, Arsenal have also become the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to score 11 goals from set pieces.

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, that is already the 38th goal for the London club. This weapon is not a secret, but few teams have decoded it. In the Premier League so far, out of 16 goals, Arsenal lead with 9 from set pieces (56%), with only 5 from open play and 2 from penalties.

This shows the team is well-organized and tactically prepared for free kicks and corners. They know how to exploit details—from accurate free-kick takers and physical strength to screening and movement strategies.

Arsenal have the characteristics of a squad ready to win the title. They have reduced flair, increased efficiency, focused on controlling the game and physical power. In England, the champion is the team that scores by any means necessary. Arteta’s side is winning in a less flashy but smarter way.

Tian Yi

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