Last season, Arsenal came closer than ever to winning their first Premier League title since 2004 only to be pipped at the post by a rampant Manchester City team. For the second consecutive year, Arsenal led the title race as they approached run-in but slipped up at the most crucial moment to hand City the title.
Many people pointed to their defensive performance at the Etihad in the run-in as the moment they handed control to the champions, despite picking up a point in what is undoubtedly the hardest fixture in the league.
So, a lot of pressure was on the Gunners this weekend as they visited the Etihad again. This time, they netted twice in the first half to lead 2-1 at the break but were forced to play the entire second half with ten men after Leandro Trossard saw red minutes before half-time.
Arteta's men dug in and defended impeccably only to concede an equaliser in the dying minutes. However, despite the late sucker punch, their odds of winning the Premier League have shortened to 13/ in the wake of the draw.
Arsenal are now 13/8 to win the league
Coming into the match, Arsenal were 2/1 to win the league while Man City were priced at evens. Despite the spoils being shared on Sunday, and the manner of the draw likely making the champions feel as if they won the match, the odds have shifted in Arsenal's favour. Here are three reasons why.
A performance to be proud of
Despite conceding in the dying minutes and the usual ‘bottle job' hysteria being thrown at the Gunners, Mikel Arteta should be extremely proud of his team's performance. They competed well against City in the first half and deservedly had the lead.
The red card to Trossard meant that they had to defend their lead for nearly 55 minutes with ten men and despite City having more than 25 attempts in the second half, almost all of them were from outside the box. Arsenal contained the champions with ten men and that should fill them with confidence.
The Rodri factor
One big reason why the odds have shifted in the wake of the match on Sunday relates to the injury picked up by Rodri in the first half. The Spaniard, who recently went 74 games without tasting defeat, was forced off with what looked like a very serious knee injury and if early reports are correct, he could be out for some time.
Rodri is the glue that binds this Man City together and while they are still a force without him, they are certainly more vulnerable.
Tough fixtures are already out of the way
Arsenal have already played three of the toughest fixtures that the Premier League has to offer. They overcame Aston Villa at Villa Park, won the North London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and have now faced Man City at the Etihad Stadium.
Not only are all of these fixtures now in the bank, but they came through them all without losing any of them. Things only get easier for the Gunners in the coming weeks so 13/8 could move closer to evens very quickly.
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters.
