This could be the year that Arsenal finally win the Premier League title again according to former super agent and co-creator of the Premier League, Jon Smith.
A fervent supporter of the Gunners, Smith would clearly be delighted if they could win the English top-flight again for the first time in 20 years.
Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles were the last Arsenal team to manage the feat back in the 2003/04 season – before the club had even moved to their present Emirates Stadium home.
Mikel Arteta has got the north Londoners in an enviable position at present and playing consistently well, however, Smith sounded a note of caution.
“Man City are always dangerous and people say they’ve shot their bolt but they’ll be back because they’re mentally very strong and that gives them the ability to challenge all the way through to May,” he said in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside.
“I would argue that this is Arsenal’s best chance to win the title now. I think they’ve got they’ve got the winning habit, which is great, though the goalkeeper issue concerns me a little bit.
“Neither of them have been inspired so far this year, but they do have the bit between their teeth and as long as they don’t start dropping points to lower clubs this could be a vintage campaign for the Gunners.
“Let’s also talk about Aston Villa for a minute. Great recruitment and great encouragement because if you talk to the people around Villa, everyone feels involved and there’s a happy environment about the place.
“They’re playing enjoyable, attacking football that’s also effective, and keeper, Emi Martinez, underpins that. You know when you’ve got a really good keeper because he just makes you feel much better going forward. I don’t know why but I think he’s worth a few points by himself.”
The current title race is certainly taking shape, with the top five at this point only separated by six points.
If any one team can put together a decent run of results, there’s no reason why they can’t be in amongst it at the business end of the campaign if injuries are kept at bay and there’s consistency in their standard of performance.
At present, Arsenal, Man City, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Tottenham will all fancy their chances, though it would be somewhat poetic if the trophy headed back to the Emirates for the first time in two decades – and on the 20th anniversary of the Invincibles season.