As things stand, despite claims of their anti-football style of play, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with eight matches outstanding.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who have a game in hand, are the Gunners nearest challengers – on 60 points after 29 matches – but it’s now Arsenal’s to lose as we enter the nitty gritty period of the campaign.
Of course, there is a lot that can happen between now and the end of the season and there are worries, especially after an evident lack of attacking prowess against Leverkusen, that things could come crashing down.
Time will tell whether the north Londoners will get their hands on the English top flight come May – but former striker Michael Owen has insisted they are not the best team in England’s primary division.
Michael Owen names ‘best team’ in the Premier League, snubs Arsenal and Man City
Owen recently sat down with Wayne Rooney on ‘The Wayne Rooney Show’ to talk about who was the better talent at 18 and the pressure of playing in the football’s biggest and best division, the Premier League.
They also discussed which team is the best in England’s top flight. Owen opted for his former side, Liverpool, and backed up his point by claiming they are merely going through a rough patch.
“Personally, I think they’re [Liverpool] the best team in the Premier League. People will laugh, like ‘where are they, sixth in the league?’ They trounced the league last season. They’re just not playing well.
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“But if you get the best performance out of everyone in the Premier League, I think Liverpool are the best team. You go to Anfield, I think it’s impossible if they’re playing well.
“It’s been massively frustrating, but I still find it hard to believe that you can go from being so dominant one season, and then add in some really top players, it’s hard to believe they’re worse now,” he continued.
Owen then suggested that it’s ‘only a matter of time’ until Arne Slot’s men are firing on all cylinders again. For now, though, they are just shy of 20 points behind table-topping Arsenal.
“Of course, they’re playing worse this season, but I think it’s only a matter of time before you see them at their very top again.”
What next for Arsenal?
Other than proving Owen wrong by winning the Premier League for the first time in over two decades, the fixtures continue to come thick and fast for the Gunner by virtue of the fact they are fighting on all fronts.
Welcoming Everton to the Emirates Stadium is next on the agenda for Arteta and his entourage before they host Leverkusen in the second leg of their Round of 16 Champions League tie on Tuesday 17 March.
They then have a date with City at Wembley as two of England’s best sides battle it out for Carabao Cup glory.
| Date (Time) | Opponent (H/A) | Competition |
| 14/03 (17:30) | Everton (H) | Premier League |
| 17/03 (20:00) | Bayer Leverkusen (H) | Champions League |
| 22/03 (16:30) | Man City (Wembley) | Carabao Cup |
| 04/04 (15:00) | Southampton (A) | FA Cup |
| 11/04 (12:30) | Bournemouth (H) | Premier League |
A trip down south to face Southampton in the FA Cup follows (4 April) before Premier League matches against Bournemouth, City and Newcastle United. In fact, the club are still on for an unprecedented quadruple.
