North London’s quest for glory: Can Arsenal or Spurs dethrone Manchester City

Dethroning Manchester City
Manchester City: there are reasons to believe that the club may not win the league this season. Firstly, the departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez have had an impact despite City's talented squad. Furthermore, the top half of the league table is currently the strongest it has ever been. While some contenders still require a few more pieces, the competition for Champions League and European spots will undoubtedly create captivating drama and present an additional challenge for the defending champions.
Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham, with or without Harry Kane, has thrived thus far, placed comfortably in first position of the table after eight matchdays. Additionally, Arsenal, who had a successful summer transfer window, particularly with the addition of Declan Rice, cannot be overlooked. I believe that Mikel Arteta and his squad have learned from their mistakes last season, where they dropped points late in the campaign, ultimately handing the league title to City.
Lastly, there is a psychological aspect to consider. After achieving the remarkable feat of winning a treble, finding the motivation to reach those heights again in the following season can be challenging. Only time will tell, and while it would be unwise to underestimate Guardiola's genius, the factors mentioned above suggest that City may face a tough battle in their quest for another league title.
As the only two teams that have avoided defeat throughout eight weeks of competitive Premier League action, let’s take a closer look at the potential of a North London dethroning Manchester City this term.
Why Tottenham Can Dethrone Manchester City
Light Schedule
As a result of their Carabao defeat and the absence of European football, they will be the least fatigued team in the Premier League, at least until the start of the new year. The weekly schedule also offers advantages such as ample time for players to fully embrace Angeball during training sessions and for the relatively new team to develop cohesion further.
No Kane, No Problem
It may sound strange, considering he was on the brink of breaking Alan Shearer’s all-time EPL goal-scoring record, but Harry Kane is gone.
The team can now focus on themselves, particularly the temptation to rely on Harry as they did for most of the previous season. This is a fresh football squad with a positive atmosphere; these vibes are incredibly valuable. Spurs are currently experiencing a surge of optimism under the guidance of a motivating new coach and captain, who both appear content with their roles.
The Starting Squad
Manchester City's depth surpasses theirs, making injuries less problematic for them. However, their first XI is fully capable of achieving success and winning trophies. No clear weaknesses are evident, and their notable strengths rival any other team in the league. If Tottenham Hotspur can avoid major injuries and suspensions throughout the entire season, they will undoubtedly thrive.
Spurs vs. Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Against the odds
A pessimistic outlook at most leading bookmakers across the UK remains. Despite sitting in first and second place, respectively, as of October 2023, The Gunners and Spurs have yet to earn the respect of the oddsmakers.
However, this is an interesting position for those who believe in one of North London’s finest accomplishing the big one.
Odds to Win The 2023/24 EPL Tile
Man City 4/5
Arsenal 4/1
Spurs 14/1
Why Arsenal Can Dethrone Manchester City
Mental Advantage
Of course, defeating Manchester City twice this season – Community Shield and EPL home clash – doesn’t necessarily mean the title is Arsenal’s, but taking points from the Citizens is huge, considering they’ve already lost close to 60% (3) of their total losses from last season’s winning year (5). And after suffering three consecutive domestic defeats for the first time in five years – one of which came against Arsenal – we’re looking at a vulnerable City squad.
Mikel Arteta is two for zero versus Man City in all competitions this term, but the October 8 clash humanised Guardiola’s men.
Arsenal's excellent discipline and organisation were evident in the fact that City only managed four shots, which is the lowest number a Guardiola-led team has had in a top-flight game since April 2010, when Barcelona also had four shots against Espanyol. If Arsenal considered their Community Shield win to be psychologically significant, then this victory under these circumstances must surely boost their self-confidence even further. Additionally, it may serve as a defence against the painful memories of last season's late collapse when the pressure of City's presence eventually overwhelmed the Gunners.
Guardiola Knows
"They fought to be champions, and now they’re here again. Arsenal are back. When I was a young boy at Barcelona, Arsenal always fought with Fergie’s teams, but now they’re back. When you look at the calendar, going to the Emirates is one of the toughest ones."
Pep Guardiola before his 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Oct 8, 2023.
Goal Scorers Galore
Eddie Nketiah's potential to propel Arsenal to a Premier League championship has raised many questions, as has the reliability of Gabriel Jesus as a top-tier striker. However, Martinelli's goal versus City marked him as the ninth player to score a league goal for the Gunners this season in just eight games.
Leading the charge with five goals, Bukayo Saka's absence from the squad has been viewed as a significant setback for Arteta's team. Nonetheless, Martinelli's return and his first goal of the season demonstrated that the Gunners possess enough goal-scoring ability throughout the squad to compensate for any decline in form from Nketiah and Jesus.
Final Thoughts
Arsenal and Spurs will face a significant challenge in pursuing the title this season as Erling Haaland, who scored an impressive 52 goals in his first season and shows no signs of slowing down, leads the treble-winning team.
However, it isn’t a one-man team, and Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Newcastle have already managed to score more goals than City (17) through eight weeks of EPL action.
If we’re asking the question, ‘Can Arsenal or Spurs dethrone Man City?’ based on the current season results thus far, it’s an entirely possible outcome, but we also cannot neglect the efforts of Liverpool and the teams sitting within a four-point gap at the summit of the table.