With 14 matches remaining in the Premier League season, Arsenal are fully focused on avoiding the late collapses that have undermined their title ambitions in recent years.
The North London club have ended up as runners-up in each of the last three seasons, watching the championship slip away as Manchester City and Liverpool surged ahead in the closing stages. The most devastating setback came during the 2022/23 campaign, when Mikel Arteta’s side let an eight-point advantage evaporate, allowing Pep Guardiola’s City to storm past them on the way to a historic treble.
However, speaking on talkSPORT on Wednesday, former Manchester United and Liverpool striker Michael Owen suggested this season feels very different. In his view, Arsenal now appear to have a clearer route to the title, largely due to the struggles of their traditional rivals.
“I honestly don’t see anyone strong enough to stop them,” Owen said. “The total number of points needed might not be huge, but the only sides I felt could genuinely challenge Arsenal were Manchester City and Liverpool — and both of them are having problems.”
Owen went on to explain that Arsenal’s position at the top has been strengthened by the lack of sustained pressure from chasing teams. “It really feels like Arsenal are going to win the league,” he added. “They’ve almost been given the opportunity. No one has consistently pushed them, so for me, the title race is pretty much settled.”
Arsenal reinforced that belief on Tuesday night with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in the Carabao Cup. That result sealed a 4-2 aggregate victory and moved Arteta’s side to within one match of securing their first piece of silverware since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.
Already confident about Arsenal’s league prospects, Owen also feels the Carabao Cup is well within their grasp. “I think they can absolutely win the League Cup,” he said, while also cautioning that success in other competitions may prove more demanding.
The Gunners remain firmly in contention for an extraordinary quadruple. They topped their Champions League group with authority and progressed comfortably in the FA Cup after eliminating Portsmouth in the third round.
Their performances in Europe have been particularly eye-catching, as Arsenal remain unbeaten while producing impressive results against heavyweight opponents such as Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
While Owen believes the Premier League title is firmly within Arsenal’s control, he expects their toughest tests to come in cup competitions, where the margins are smaller and the level of opposition even higher.
