The 2023-24 Premier League season could become the one in which Arsenal win their first league title in 20 years. A 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield is just the kind of result that can help them reach their goal. While the Gunners weren’t at their best during an away trip to one of the toughest environments in the Premier League, the fact that they were able to escape while still sitting atop the Premier League on Christmas for the second consecutive season shows their staying power.
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On another day, Gabriel Martinelli’s chance in front of an open net may go in, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shot to cap off a four-on-one attack may end up beating David Raya in net instead of clanging off the crossbar. It’s a game that can be decided by mere centimeters, but even the fate of these two chances shows that there was nothing to separate the sides. But for Arsenal, as the current league leaders, that’s okay. A point is always better than no points, especially when it can maintain a slim one-point lead atop the Premier League.
Last season, the Gunners made it through the first week of January before seeing their title chances unravel amid a three-match winless streak that saw momentum shift to the eventual champions, Manchester City. But in keeping matches like this one under control from the first to the last minute, it shows growth in the Gunners that can help them avoid the fate that befell them last season.
With the draw at Anfield, the Gunners now have a six-point lead on Manchester City, but it seems larger than it actually is due to City’s match with Brentford needing to be postponed while Pep Guardiola and the team were in Saudi Arabia lifting the Club World Cup. That may seem to favor the Manchester Club, but when Arsenal have already defeated them once, scored five goals in the 90th minute or later and picked up points in some of the toughest away environments in the league, it’s clear that there is growth in Mikel Arteta’s side after last season’s disappointment.
Some of that growth is due to the signing of Declan Rice, who has two of those goals after the 90th minute. Rice has slotted seamlessly into the side, and his dropping into defense when Oleksandr Zinchenko drove forward is one of the biggest reasons Arsenal were able to hold Liverpool at bay, setting up quite a race for the Premier League championship. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City are all only separated by three points, so every missed chance can make the difference in the title race.
Taking into account the resilience in this Arsenal side, it is unlikely that they’ll repeat their mistakes from last season. If they’re going to lose the title, their closest rivals will need to be better than them in head-to-head matches, and while Liverpool put in a strong performance, they weren’t better than Arsenal on Saturday. As long as Arsenal can continue that trend as the season goes on, there’s no reason why they can’t end the season lifting that coveted trophy.
