The Gunners are aiming to win four titles this season after getting their form back
These are good times to be an Arsenal fan. The North London side is nine points in front of City with an extra game; on March 22, they’ll play their first final of the season, and they’re still in contention in the Champions League and the FA Cup.
After appearing to have fallen off in the Premier League, they have reaffirmed their lead with four straight wins, which, combined with Manchester City’s two recent draws, has given them more breathing room at the top of the table.
In the League Cup, they reached the final, which they will play against Manchester City on March 22 at Wembley. A win would mean their first title of the season, in a year in which it seems they won’t settle for just one.
The Gunners eliminated Mansfield in the FA Cup round of 16 and will face Southampton on the road on April 4 in what, on paper, looks like a manageable tie to reach the semifinals, which would mean Arsenal’s return to Wembley for the second time this season.
And in the Champions League?
In what looked like an easy tie for Arsenal, Arteta’s side came very close to leaving Leverkusen with a loss after Andrich found the back of the net early in the second half.
Although the Gunners had plenty of chances throughout the match, it wasn’t until the 90th minute that their persistence paid off with a penalty. Havertz stepped up to send the ball into the back of the net and level the score, resetting the tie so that everything will be decided at the North London side’s home ground.
Mikel Arteta’s team heads into the match in good form and is the clear favorite to advance, thanks in part to home-field advantage. Timber, Odegaard, and Merino are out, but the starting lineup will still be among the strongest in Europe.
Their opponents are coming off a draw against the other big favorite to win the Champions League, Bayern Munich, but there’s a catch: Kompany’s side were down to 10 men from the 42nd minute due to Nico Jackson’s sending-off and were reduced to nine in the 84th minute after a second red card, this time for Luis Díaz.
Do you think Arsenal will close out the tie and advance to the quarterfinals? How many titles do you think they’ll win this season?