Malaysian Gooner

With Arsenal title chase back on track, Malaysian Gooner looks to the fixture list to forecast how the Gunners will fair in what might prove to be an important month in one of the most closely contested title races since the Premier League’s inception.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd all have relatively easy matches in March but potential babana skin matches lie towards the end of the month for all three clubs. Besides the second leg Champions League tie against Porto (9th March), the Gunners will play at home to Burnley(6th March) and West Ham(20th March) while travelling away to Hull City(13th March) ; all within the space of 14 days. It wouldn’t be unrealistic though to expect 4 wins out of 4 as our home record has been good and while our away form has been mixed, we have passed more difficult tests than Hull. The potential banana skin match though comes on the 27th, when we play Birmingham at St. Andrews. Birmingham played out a 0-0 draw against Chelsea and held Man Utd to a 1-1 scoreline already this season at St. Andrews; the Gunners will definitely not be expecting an easy day out.

Chelsea play Stoke(7th March) , West Ham(13th March) and Inter Milan(16th March) at home before travelling to Blackburn(20th March) and Portmouth(24th March). Not many would bet against 4 wins out of 4 for Chelsea in the league but a tough 2nd leg against Inter Milan may not leave much in the tank for when they visit Ewood Park 4 days later. Blackburn though, have had a mixed season and is definitely not Chelsea’s potential banana skin for the month of March. That award falls to Aston Villa, who visit Stamford Bridge on the 27th. Aston Villa’s away record against the top 3 this season has been mixed, managing a 1-0 win at Old Trafford before getting smashed 3-0 by the Gunners.

Man Utd will look at their two away games in March as relatively straight forward, beginning the month by visiting Wolves (6th March) and ending it at Bolton(27th March). But their three home game between those matches are anything but straight forward. AC Milan(10th March), Fulham(14th March) and Liverpool(21st March) will all visit Old Trafford in the space of 11 days. Fulham have proven tough competition for the top 3 this season. Arsenal somehow escaped with a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage thanks to a 5 star Vito Mannone performance before Man Utd were stuffed 3-0. Even away from home, Fulham led at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea struck twice on 73 and 75. If playing Fulham wasn’t hard enough, a Liverpool side chasing the 4th Champions League spot worth €40m come to town a week later. And the fixture list doesn’t get any easier for United, if there ever was a month of death on the Manchester United footballing calendar, April is definitely it. United play Man City, Chelsea and Spurs in what will be a decisive month for the Red Devils.

In a season filled with surprises, anything can still happen in this title race. The title is still Chelsea’s to lose but suddenly that title seems a lot easier to lose for the Blues. Arsenal look to do what has been done to them so many times before, pick up form at the right time of the season and grab the Emirates first piece of silverware!