Arteta insists he's the driving force behind Arsenal's title push as the Gunners sit seven points clear. For punters, Arsenal look likeliest champions — consider backing Arsenal to win the league or to beat Manchester United (match-winner/DNB); monitor striker form before taking goal markets due to Gyokeres' slow start.
Mikel Arteta: The man who wants to end Arsenal’s two-decade wait
Mikel Arteta says there is nobody with “more motivation, more hunger and more desire” to deliver the Premier League for Arsenal. The north London side — who last won the title in 2004 and finished runners-up in each of the past three seasons — now lead the table by seven points with 48 points still available across 16 matches.
Title race context and Arsenal’s standing
With Manchester City’s challenge wobbling and champions Liverpool a distant 14 points adrift, the title is increasingly seen as Arsenal’s to lose. Arteta stressed the importance of focus: “The only way to do it is to focus, be present in the moment, and everything that we have done today, do it better tomorrow. That’s it and that’s the only thing that we can control.”
Team news ahead of Manchester United clash
Arsenal prepare to host Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday in what could be a pivotal fixture in the run-in. Gabriel Jesus continued his fine form with a two-goal display in Arsenal’s 3-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan, but Arteta may give another opportunity to striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Viktor Gyokeres: form, history and how Arteta views him
Gyokeres came off the bench in Italy to add Arsenal’s third goal, yet his debut campaign in north London has been underwhelming compared with his Sporting Lisbon output — 97 goals in 102 games prior to joining Arsenal, but only five league goals so far. Arteta defended a measured approach to evaluation: “Let’s assess him at the end of the season and even sometimes that is too short a sample. We also need to understand the league that we are competing in and what is happening to the nines across the league and the manner that the game is changing.”
Young talent loaned for experience: Ethan Nwaneri heads to Marseille
Ethan Nwaneri will not be involved for Arsenal at the weekend after completing a loan move to Marseille until the end of the season. The 18-year-old had not started a league match this season, and Arteta framed the move as development-focused:
“The talented young players that we have need minutes and Ethan wasn’t getting enough minutes. The last thing we want to do is cut his development because he’s such a talent. Marseille is going to be a great experience for him.”
What this means for Arsenal’s squad and betting markets
Arteta’s public certainty and Arsenal’s clear lead should bolster confidence among supporters and bettors alike. For gambling markets, Arsenal’s status as favourites for the title and short-priced match odds in domestic fixtures look justified, but uncertainty around the striking position means goal markets (over/under, anytime scorer) could offer better value if Gyokeres’ form remains in doubt.
Paul Scholes singles out Arsenal star he believes has outshone Declan Rice this season
The Gunners last won the league title in 2004 and have finished as runners-up for the past three seasons.
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