Key Takeaways
- Arsenal have dropped to second after 209 days at the Premier League summit.
- Almost half of their league wins this season have been by a single goal.
- Wayne Rooney believes the Gunners must start winning by bigger margins to overhaul Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta admits the race has entered “a new league” after Manchester City replaced Arsenal at the top on goals scored.
The two rivals are locked on 70 points and a plus-37 goal difference, but City’s extra three strikes give them the edge with only five rounds left.
Arsenal’s recent form has slipped. They have taken maximum points in just six of their last 13 fixtures, allowing Pep Guardiola’s men to charge past them.
Speaking on his BBC podcast, former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney urged Arteta to release the shackles.
“Arsenal have been trying to nick 1-0 wins,” Rooney said. “They need to change that mindset and go at teams, win by three or four.”
Statistics back the concern. Ten of the Gunners’ 21 victories have come by the narrowest margin, the highest share for a would-be champion since Leicester City in 2016.
Kai Havertz, preferred to Viktor Gyokeres against City, wasted two clear openings that could have altered the mood around the Emirates.
Arsenal are also on course to become the lowest-scoring champions from open play in Premier League history. They average 1.15 open-play goals a match and need nine more to avoid matching Leicester’s record low of 46.
Sports psychologist Phil Johnson believes the squad relaxed once their lead stretched to nine points. “Their energy dipped; they looked slower and less determined,” he told BBC Sport.
Rooney, who lost the 2011-12 title on goal difference, still fancies Arsenal if they show urgency. “When they wake up they can be phenomenal,” he added.
Arteta’s side return to action on Saturday against Newcastle, playing catch-up for the first time since August. The call is clear: score more, win bigger, or watch City pull away.
