As the season nears completion, Chelsea are the clear favourites to win the league, but the race for the top four seems to have captured the imagination of fans and pundits alike, with as many as five teams competing for two spots.
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Arsenal are one of those sides, but they should be looking to challenge Manchester City for second spot. A quick look at the Gunners’ run-in between now and the end of the season the fixture list has been rather favorable to them, with three of their remaining four away fixtures against sides currently in the bottom half of the table.
With an FA Cup Wembley date booked for mid-April against either Bradford or Reading, and on the verge of being eliminated from Europe, the Gunners can fully focus on cutting down the four point gap between the two clubs.
Here’s three reasons why Arsenal can finish above City in the table.
3. Form: Only Liverpool have taken more points than Arsenal since December and barring the defeat against Monaco in the Champions League, Arsene Wenger’s side seem to have found a way win win games whilst not at their best – a quality that has been missing for so many years.
City have stuttered since the turn of the year when they were level on points with Chelsea, a draw against Hull City and a defeat against Liverpool has gifted the initiative back to the Blue, while opening the door to the likes of Arsenal to challenge for second place.
2. Run in: Arsenal have six of their remaining 10 games at the Emirates, where they have won seven in a row in the league since the defeat by Manchester United back in November.
Meanwhile City still have a Manchester derby to contend with, in addition to trips to the capital, where they haven’t won this season, against Tottenham and Crystal Palace.
1. Atmosphere at the club: with rumours of unrest in the Man City squad, stories of club captain Vincent Kompany being involved in a spat with Fernandinho. All does not appear to be too rosy for the defending league champions.
While at Arsenal, as the ever-worrying injury list appears to be easing, the only problem for Wenger will be who to choose when and if everybody is fit and available for selection, coupled with a possible second FA Cup final in two years, all seems well at the Emirates Stadium.
Take a look at the key fixtures in the calendar which could prove vital in the race to finish second.
Arsenal vs Liverpool (April 4)
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (April 6)
Manchester United vs Manchester City (April 12)
Arsenal vs Chelsea (April 26)
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City (May 2)
Manchester United vs Arsenal (May 16)