Premier League history suggests Arsenal won't chase down Liverpool in title race

2024/25 has conspired against Arsenal, yet the Gunners still have a chance of claiming their first Premier League title in over 20 years.

This was meant to be Arsenal's season, and Manchester City's collapse opened the door for a fresh face to emerge at the summit. However, with Mikel Arteta's side falling on the wrong side of several refereeing decisions, losing key players to injury, and refusing to adequately recruit in two transfer windows, Arsenal have not been the team to usurp the Cityzens.

As was the case last season, they're playing the role of the hunters. This time, however, Arteta's Gunners aren't chasing down the imperious sky-blue force from Manchester, but the one-time Premier League victors from Merseyside with a new man at the helm.

Arne Slot's Liverpool regained their seven-point lead at the top of the table following a nervy 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday. The Reds have been beaten just once in the top flight this term and are on course for a mammoth points haul, but the battered and bruised folk from north London haven't given up on their unlikely dream just yet.

Premier League history suggests Arsenal won't chase down Liverpool in title race

While Arsenal limped out of Saturday's game at Leicester with a 2-0 win thanks to Mikel Merino's brace off the bench, supporters would've taken great encouragement from Liverpool's showing the following day against the relegation-threatened Wolves.

The Reds were cruising at 2-0 but were pegged back by Matheus Cunha to set up the tensest of finales. Dropped points would've been crushing ahead of a tough run, but Jarell Quansah and Alisson combined to preserve their advantage. In the aftermath of an emotional Merseyside Derby, three points were all-important. The performance played a secondary role.

The Gunners are just about in the hunt, but the margins for Arteta's forward-less outfit are ever so small. Their seven-point deficit at this juncture has only been made up once in the competition's history.

Kevin Keegan's Newcastle were the great entertainers of the division in the mid-90s, and their swashbuckling attacking style looked poised to lead them to glory in the 1995/96 season. The Magpies' lead through 25 games was a huge 12 points, yet they contrived to miss out on the title to Manchester United.

Eventually, Keegan's abandonment of defensive principles paid with Newcastle collapsing down the stretch. After losing three of their first 25 league outings, they won just two of their next eight and allowed United to pounce. A 4-3 defeat at Anfield, remembered as one of the all-time great Premier League games, in April '96 proved decisive as United eventually won the title by a four-point margin having been nowhere in February.

Unfortunately, a Keegan-led implosion is unlikely to occur with the typically stoic Arne Slot in charge, with only fatigue, title run-in tension, and a couple of big injuries likely to prevent the Reds from claiming their second Premier League title. While a blip is very much possible, especially with trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City upcoming, many will wonder whether this Arsenal team, in its current state, are capable of rattling off successive wins to put serious pressure on.

Let's see where we are in a month's time.

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