Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has one big problem to solve (Image: Getty)
boss must fix his side’s form against the top half of the . The Gunners have stuttered against teams around them in the league this season and it will cost them the title.
Of the other nine teams in the ’s top 10, have beaten only Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. Their 10 matches against those teams have amassed six draws and two defeats.
Grinding out victories in those tight matches has been a challenge for . They failed to hold on to their 1-0 lead against 10th-placed Brighton last week and were toothless in attack after Joao Pedro’s equaliser early in the second half.
Likewise, they twice allowed winning positions to slip at home to , who now have a six-point lead and a game in hand over Arteta’s side. The Reds’ own ruthlessness against teams in the top half must be adopted by .
’s only defeat this season came against third-placed Forest. They came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 in November and battled plenty of adversity in their victory by the same scoreline against .
’s players have swatted away the likes of Aston Villa and . They battled with 10 men to salvage a point against Fulham in a performance that this team might not have been capable of producing.
That have been almost perfect against teams in the bottom half this season will be a source of frustration for Arteta. Of their 10 matches against teams in that half of the table, the north Londoners have won nine and drawn one.
Arsenal must improve against the Premier League’s top 10 (Image: Getty)
There have been big victories over Leicester (4-2), Crystal Palace (5-1) and West Ham (5-2). were beaten in the north London derby.
The first half of ’s season has been riddled with inconsistency, injuries and misfortune. They will be without until at least the end of February due to a hamstring injury and captain Martin Odegaard’s form has been hampered by an ankle issue he suffered in September.
But Arteta must find a way for to win matches against the teams around them in the . , who are yet to suffer a blip under Slot, are catchable and have to be ready to take advantage if the league leaders slip up.