With 14 matches remaining, Arsenal are focused on avoiding the mistakes that have derailed their title bids in recent years.
The North London side have ended each of the past three seasons as runners-up, falling short after late surges from Manchester City and Liverpool. Their toughest setback came in 2022/23, when they let an eight-point advantage slip and watched Pep Guardiola’s City go on to secure a historic treble.
Speaking to talkSPORT on Wednesday, former Manchester United and Liverpool forward Michael Owen gave his assessment of the current title race and believes Arsenal finally have a clear run at it.
“I don’t see anyone strong enough to push them this season,” Owen said. “The points total might not be huge, but the only real threats were Liverpool and Manchester City — and both are having problems.”
He continued: “It feels like Arsenal are going to win it, and in many ways the title has fallen into their lap. There hasn’t been sustained pressure on them, so it looks almost settled.”
Arsenal reinforced that belief on Tuesday evening with a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory. The result leaves Mikel Arteta’s team one match away from claiming their first trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.
Already confident about Arsenal’s league prospects, Owen also sees them as strong contenders in the Carabao Cup. “They’re well capable of winning the League Cup,” he said, “but the other tournaments will be far more challenging.”
The Gunners are still chasing an ambitious quadruple. They topped their Champions League group and progressed in the FA Cup after defeating Portsmouth in the third round.
Their performances in Europe have been especially eye-catching, remaining unbeaten while securing notable results against Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
Owen believes that while Arsenal appear firmly in control domestically, their toughest tests are likely to come outside the Premier League.
