We hear so much in the modern game about player burnout and the relentless nature of the fixture list. Mikel Arteta is just one of many top managers to have suggested that the best players have to play too many games, and are given too little rest. That said, the Arsenal boss may just wish that his squad did not have quite as long away from the action as they do.
That is because following the break in March for England’s internationals with Albania and Latvia, domestic action returns not with the Premier League, but with the FA Cup quarter finals. And of course the Gunners are no longer involved in this year’s tournament. That means that for the few members of the Arsenal squad not involved in any way with their senior national, or age-group teams, there has been a lengthy gap of over two weeks between competitive matches.
No doubt, Arteta and his back-room staff will have used that time well, preparing for the games ahead, easing players back to full fitness and, where appropriate, allowing some rest too. There is no rest for us though and this gap in the action seems a perfect time to reflect on the season thus far and look ahead to how things might play out for the Gunners in the final two months or so of the campaign.
No Real Title Challenge
Five recent moments that had us out of our seats 😲
1. Martin’s genius piece of skill against Chelsea
2. Cool, calm and collected from Less
3. Raya’s incredible double-save at Old Trafford
4. Merino’s instinctive London derby match-winner
5. Some Mariona magic
🤝 @MGmotor pic.twitter.com/S6wV6wzwhk
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 28, 2025
When Premier League football resumes, in Arsenal’s case on the 1st of April against Fulham, the Gunners will be a whopping 12 points behind Liverpool. There are nine Premier League matches to go and 27 points to play for so the title isn’t Liverpool’s yet but it really is hard to see any other outcome. Arne Slot’s men face Everton on the 2nd of April and they have other potential banana skins, including games against Fulham and Spurs. They must travel to Chelsea and also Brighton, whilst on the 10th of May, Arsenal will travel to Anfield, so there are certainly a number of matches where the current leaders could drop points.
However, it is almost impossible to see Slot’s side dropping 12 points in nine matches when they have only missed out on 17 in the first 29. But perhaps more than that, sadly it is perhaps even more unlikely that Arteta’s side are capable of winning their final nine league games of the season.
The Gunners have been solid throughout this campaign without ever really managing to put enough pressure on the Merseyside outfit. They gave themselves far too much to do by drawing six times in their opening 16 matches of this season. They dropped to fifth after a defeat against Newcastle in November. A good run of 15 games unbeaten followed that but there were five draws among those matches. Although Arteta’s men have only been beaten three times, a massive total of 10 draws to date has left them trailing in Liverpool’s wake.
Slot’s men, themselves beaten only once, have wobbled at times, and have drawn on seven occasions. But Arsenal just haven’t quite been able to cash in by winning the important games and stringing together a long run of victories. In fact, the Gunners’ best sequence of league wins this term is a mere three in a row, and that says it all.
Disappointment in Domestic Cups
The two domestic cups have also ended in disappointment and the years when Arsenal almost seemed to win the FA Cup every year are slipping further and further into the past. The 2019/20 FA Cup is the only real honour Arteta has won as Arsenal boss. That was the club’s ninth FA Cup of the Premier League era and seventh of the 21st century.
This season, however, they fell at the first hurdle, losing on penalties to Man United after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates. Since winning the trophy, Arteta has overseen just two wins (of games) in the competition in four seasons.
The EFL Cup was better for Arsenal and, facing Newcastle in the semis, they were favourites to set up a final against Liverpool. Having seen off Bolton and Preston with ease, they then squeaked past Palace, 3-2, in the quarters. However, they just weren’t at the races in the two-legged semi against the Magpies and lost both games 2-0.
Can the Champions League Make This a Season to Remember?
In terms of the Premier League, Arsenal seem almost guaranteed to do enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League. It is possible that fifth place might be enough but it would be a big surprise if Arsenal did not finish second, or at the very worst third. They have a four-point advantage over surprise package Nottingham Forest, with Chelsea a further five back.
The club’s remaining fixtures are very much on the easier side of things too, despite that big game at Anfield and a final-day clash at the Emirates against Newcastle. As such, we fully expect the club to end the season second, for what will be the third time in a row. That’s disappointing, especially given Man City have been so bad, but credit has to go to Liverpool, who seem likely to earn more than 90 points.
Thankfully though, the season is far from over for Arsenal. On Tuesday the 8th of April they face a blockbuster clash with Real Madrid at home. The return in Spain takes place on the 16th and if Arteta can mastermind a win over Carlo Ancelotti’s team then the Gunners will have a great chance of winning the Champions League for the first time.
With Real locked in a really tough three-way title race in La Liga (they trail Barca by goal difference having played a game more, with Atletico also in the hunt), Arsenal may just have an edge in terms of being able to rest their stars ahead of these games. They host Brentford in between the two clashes with Real and travel to Everton prior to the first game, and so Arteta certainly has options to keep things fresh.
Due to the bracket used for this year’s Champions League, we know that if Arsenal do manage to see off Real, they will face either PSG or Aston Villa in the semis. Bayern play Inter, whilst Barca face Dortmund in the other half of the draw. There is clearly a long way to go before Arsenal fans can dream of ending that wait for a Champions League title. But Gooners must keep the faith – and dream of just how good it would be to beat Real, then PSG, and then Harry Kane’s Bayern in the final!