Arsenal Title Dream: Bottling It or Bringing It Home? Ranking the Gunners' Medal-Worthy Lads

Picture this: you're seven pints deep, Arsenal are top of the Premier League, and the red-and-white scarves are flying. Champions, right? Hold your horses, mate. As Football365 via OneFootball point out, this is Arsenal we're chatting about – masters of the self-sabotage special.

City have a game in hand and still face the Gunners at the Emirates. Sure, it's in Arsenal's grasp, but Mikel Arteta's lot aren't strutting around like invincible kings just yet. The narrative screams 'worst season ever, everyone else is rubbish', but let's be real – Arsenal have been bang average too. They've just hung around the summit longer than most.

Why the Title Race Ain't Over

Aston Villa had a golden chance to shake things up but fluffed it spectacularly, now scrambling for top five. Man City? They're not the relentless machine anymore, no more of those epic late runs. But if Arsenal choke, it'll be a proper howler; City just need to capitalise on the chaos.

Dig into the Premier League Power Rankings, and it's grim reading for Gooners. Only Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes crack the top 13. Bukayo Saka, Martin Zubimendi, and David Raya scrape in lower down. City, meanwhile, are littered with stars in the top spots. Arsenal's squad depth? More like squad meh.

External excuses like dodgy luck or history matter, but the truth hurts: these lads haven't been world-beaters. Time to rank every Gunner who's kicked a ball in the league this season on championship deservingness – from 'give it to the tea lady first' to 'lift the trophy, son'.

The Full Gunners' Glory Rankings

Starting at the bottom, the benchwarmers and what-ifs:

24. Ethan Nwaneri – Shipped to Marseille on loan, zero PL starts. Tough break, kid.

23. Max Dowman – Youngster with trophies galore ahead. Not this time.

22. Myles Lewis-Skelly – Sparkled last year, invisible now.

21. Christian Norgaard – Arteta's late-discovery finisher. Might nick a couple of late wins.

20. Kai Havertz – Sidelined most of 2025/26. Come back stronger, Kai.

19. Ben White – Five starts, one Player of the Match. Outshining half the backline already.

18. Gabriel Jesus – Scant impact, but sparked the Wolves scrape.

17. Noni Madueke – £50m for two goals, one assist? Shoddy, but that draw-saver counts.

16. Cristhian Mosquera – Raw talent shining through, steps up when needed.

15. Gabriel Martinelli – One goal all season? Rubbish... until it's a last-gasp leveller vs City. Massive.

14. Martin Odegaard – Captain's had injuries, but clutch in tight wins: goal, two assists.

13. Riccardo Calafiori – Steady, not spectacular.

12. Piero Hincapie – Left-back rotation with Calafiori; neither setting pulses racing.

11. Eberechi Eze – Hero vs Spurs, killer assist vs City. Mid-table ranking says it all about Arsenal's year.

10. Leandro Trossard – Frustrating, but clutch: winners at Fulham, beauty at Sunderland. 5G, 5A.

9. Viktor Gyokeres – Big Swede bullied defenders, 10 goals in 28. Pens aside, he's a handful refs ignore.

8. Mikel Merino – Six points from key goals/assists: Newcastle, Chelsea, Brentford, Sunderland. Gold.

7. Bukayo Saka – Right-wing form dip, but the lad bleeds Arsenal. Deserves silverware.

6. Jurrien Timber – Mr Consistent. Rock-solid defender.

5. Martin Zubimendi – Midfield maestro, calmed the engine room, boosted Rice.

4. William Saliba – Defensive bedrock. Arsenal's wall.

3. Gabriel Magalhaes – Power Rankings elite. Beast mode.

2. Declan Rice – Top-tier rankings, elevated everything.

1. David Raya? Nah, wait – the real No.1 is the squad's grit, but Rice edges it for carrying the midfield load.

Final Whistle: Champions or Chokers?

Arsenal aren't the finished article, but slip-ups loom. City lurk, Villa fade, and the Gunners' stars (bar a elite few) aren't title-defining yet. Arteta's mob could still bottle it hilariously, or grind to glory. Fancy a pint on it?