Home of football statistics and historyArsenal are the new favourites to win the Premier League title following a captivating round of weekend fixtures.
The Gunners are rated as 10/11 shots at William Hill after their 2-0 victory over West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea later in the day left Mikel Arteta’s side on top of the pile heading into the October international break.
Opta Analyst supports the bookmakers’ odds, predicting that Arsenal will accrue more than 77 points this season. Liverpool have been tipped to finish second.
With the Reds showing signs of vulnerability in recent weeks, Arsenal could feasibly open up a sizeable advantage over their title rivals.
Upcoming fixtures against Fulham (H), Crystal Palace (H), Burnley (A), Sunderland (A) look favourable, particularly given that Arsenal’s injury worries are easing.
Arteta was eager to stress that he is taking nothing for granted, but is delighted with how things have progressed during the early part of the campaign.
“We know how difficult those games are going to be,” Arteta said. “We have had some very difficult fixtures, playing some of the top teams, some of them away as well, with some big injuries.
“We had to adjust a lot of things with some players that were coming as well from big injuries and surgeries in the first few weeks of the season.
“So, it’s been a challenge, but the team has been I think, very convincing in performances and results, and it’s a good that from now to continue.”
Opta’s ‘expected’ statistics also paint a healthy picture for Arsenal, with the team performing extremely well in several key metrics.
Their total of 14 goals scored exceeds their expected ‘goals for’ (XGF) tally of 12.2, while just three goals conceded is better than their 4.4 expected ‘goals against’ (XGA) prediction.
Four clean sheets in seven league games undoubtedly bodes well for Arsenal’s chances of ending their lengthy wait to win the Premier League title.
While the Gunners have edged into a healthy position in the Premier League, a quick look at the table highlights why it is too soon to make definitive predictions about the title race.
Just six points covers the top ten teams in the English top flight after the first seven games and there will be plenty of twists and turns as the season progresses.
Manchester City stand out as a team who could give Arsenal plenty to think about. They are just three points off top spot after a strong run of form.
Opta has forecast that Pep Guardiola’s side will fall just short of the 70-point mark, but that prediction looks to be a little too conservative.
Man City recorded a 1-0 victory in their most recent outing at Brentford, with star striker Erling Braut Haaland’s first half goal proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Haaland has now scored at 22 of the 23 stadiums he’s played at in the Premier League. Anfield is the only blemish on his record, and he could rectify that anomaly this season.
Having made a sticky start to the new campaign, City have pieced together a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions and are a big threat to the Gunners.
“It has been a good month, since the Manchester United game,” Guardiola said. “I know there are things we can do better but they made a fantastic first half, one of the best in many months.
“The problem is in the Premier League, if you don’t score a second and a third, they push more. In the second half they pushed more, so it was not easy. We are there. Our game is better and better.”
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