Could These Two Injury Returns Make All the Difference in Arsenal's Premier League Title Charge?
Arsenal look to finally be fulfilling their destiny this season. Heading into the campaign, the Gunners knew that it had to be their year, but they were immediately put under pressure after reigning champions Liverpool embarked upon an uncharacteristic £400m spending spree. Mikel Arteta's side were initially overawed, but after a loss at Anfield earlier in the season, they have gone on to regain their composure and pile up the wins.
Arsenal's All Out Assault on the Title
The recent goalless draw away at Nottingham Forest was Arsenal's second straight such stalemate in the Premier League, and even still, they've managed to extend their lead at the summit. Both of their nearest rivals lost on matchday 22, with Manchester City losing to cross-city rivals United at Old Trafford and Aston Villa slumping to a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton. That saw Arteta's men stretch their lead in the title race to seven points, and as we push further past the campaign’s halfway point, online betting sites continue to slash their odds on their impending coronation.
The popular Lucky Rebel sportsbook now makes the Gunners a 1/5 favorite to claim their first title since the Invincibles 22 years ago, and it would be perhaps the biggest disaster in the club's illustrious history if they were to collapse now. But if their domestic form wasn't enough for the Emirates faithful to get excited about, their club is also flying on the continent. They just beat Italian Serie A table-toppers Inter Milan 3-1 in the San Siro, courtesy of a stunning brace from much-maligned striker Gabriel Jesus, and the bookies also now make them a favorite to win the Champions League as well.
Throughout Arsenal's three straight runners-up finishes in the Premier League, a lack of squad depth and losing key players to injury at critical times have derailed their hopes. This season, however, it's a different story. The Gunners have had to manage injuries all season long, and as the campaign approaches its run-in, key players are now returning to fitness at the perfect time, making their challenge even stronger. So, who are the unheralded players who could still play a huge part in Arsenal's quest for a mountain of silverware this term? Let's take a look.
Gabriel Jesus
Throughout those recent near misses, it has been Gabriel Jesus at the center of Arsenal's injury crises and subsequent title slip-ups. The Brazilian signed from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and immediately proceeded to catapult the Gunners to the top of the Premier League. Then, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he injured himself on international duty in Qatar, and Arsenal's form immediately nose- dived.
A year later, Jesus struggled with injury niggles all season, resulting in him not finding the back of the net with enough regularity. Arsenal duly missed out on the title again, losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa down the stretch and opening the door for Manchester City to cling onto the crown. Last season, Arteta's men never truly pushed Liverpool in the title race, ultimately finishing a distant second, but things could have been closer had their Brazilian striker not been injured from New Year's Day onwards.
Fast forward to this term, and once again, Jesus has been on the treatment table, missing the first four and a half months of the campaign. He is yet to start in the league this term, but he did make his first start in the Champions League in the recent trip to Inter Milan, scoring twice in the first half and showing Arsenal supporters exactly what they have been missing. Now, he is tasked with providing support to big-money signing Viktor Gyökeres, taking some of the load off of the Swede's shoulders and scoring the goals that could propel Arsenal to arguably the greatest season in the club's history.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz was initially brought in to provide support to the aforementioned Gabriel Jesus, but the consistent injury woes for the Brazilian immediately thrust the former Chelsea man into the limelight. Throughout most of the last two seasons, he has been Arsenal's main striker, but he too suffered an injury woe of his own last season, an injury which saw the Gunners forced to deploy central midfielder Mikel Merino in a makeshift striker role.
Like Jesus, he has missed the entirety of this term and has also recently returned to fitness. He has been on the bench a handful of times, as well as picking up two substitute appearances in both the FA Cup and the League Cup, as he looks to regain his match sharpness. If he can do that quickly, he could be a huge addition to a Gunner squad still on the hunt for four titles this season.
The German was initially signed to play as an attacking midfielder as opposed to an outright striker. With Gyökeres and Jesus now competing for the striking berth, Havertz provides another option. He could compete with those two to lead the Arsenal frontline, or he could be deployed just behind the striker in a bid to link the midfield and the attack, the job he was initially signed to do. If he can regain that sharpness within the coming weeks, then Arsenal will be stronger than ever as they aim to end their Premier League drought, as well as claim a maiden Champions League crown.