Predicting Arsenal's next five games as crunch Premier League and UCL fixtures lie in wait for leaders
Arsenal face some of their biggest challenges of the season yet in the coming weeks
Premier League leaders Arsenal have it all to lose as we head towards the Christmas period of the season, with all international breaks now out of the way for 2025.
The Gunners are viewed as clear favourites for this season’s league title and are one of the favourites for the Champions League on top of that, such is the thorough squad building that Mikel Arteta has carried out in recent years.
Two quality players in almost every position, £50million signings sat on the bench, the club captain Martin Odegaard out for practically the whole season so far and the Gunners have barely batted an eyelid.
But a spanner in the works may have arrived – after defensive leader Gabriel picked up a thigh injury last week while away on international duty with Brazil. Although Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie wait in the wings, whether either can come close to replacing Gabriel’s influence on the side is a major question mark. Whether the 27-year-old will spend an extended period on the sidelines is not yet known.
Should the Gunners get through this upcoming period unscathed, the Premier League title is theirs to lose. But the next five matches might just be some of the hardest of Arsenal’s season.
Predicting Arsenal’s next five games
Game 1 - Tottenham Hotspur (H), November 23: The North London Derby at the Emirates is always an occasion to remember, particularly for those of an Arsenal persuasion. The Lilywhites have not won at the Emirates in the Premier League since 2010 – and have only won nine of 29 league encounters between them at any stadium since then.
With or without Gabriel, or even fellow doubt Viktor Gyokeres, we predict Arsenal to show their class against their north London rivals once again. Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham
Game 2 - Bayern Munich (H), November 26: Just three days after a tense derby, a Champions League encounter with Europe’s most in-form side could prove the toughest test of them all for Arsenal.
It will be an extremely tight encounter, between arguably two of the continent’s best sides right now. But could a Harry Kane winner at the Emirates be on the cards? Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Bayern Munich
Game 3 - Chelsea (A), November 30: The Gunners face another tough test as two of the Premier League’s current top three meet at Stamford Bridge at the end of the month.
Each top side faces a minor blip at some stage in a season, and this could be just that for Arsenal – as we predict a tight home win, to inflict a second consecutive defeat on Arteta’s side. Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal
Game 4 - Brentford (H), December 3: Should the previous week go as predicted, Arsenal will be under pressure to bounce back when Brentford visit north London to kick off December.
But that is what champions-elect must do, while the Bees have largely been poor away from home, so the Gunners could do this in style. Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Brentford
Game 5 - Aston Villa (A), December 6: Another very tough one to call. Villa have become somewhat of a bogey team for Arteta in recent years, so this very match could be that which demonstrates whether Arsenal have truly reached a new level.
We believe it will prove inconclusive. Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Arsenal
Where could these results leave Arsenal?
Therefore, if all the above matches go as predicted, Arsenal will end up on 33 points after 15 matches by December 6. Whether that will be enough for the Gunners to remain top depends on if Manchester City, four points behind at present, also drop points in the meantime.
One thing for sure is that the Gunners dropping points in the coming weeks would certainly open up the title race. City would look to take their opportunity to pounce, and could Liverpool begin to make up their eight-point deficit? Maybe Chelsea or even Sunderland could find themselves in the mix.
While in the Champions League, one defeat will hardly prove fatal to Arteta’s league stage qualification hopes. But it would go a long way to defining Bayern as early favourites for this season’s competition. The next three weeks could prove defining for Arsenal, whatever happens.