Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge has been handed a significant advantage due to the contrasting European fortunes and demanding fixture schedules of their London rivals, Chelsea and Tottenham, according to reporting by the Daily Star.
While Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Gunners boast a flawless 100% record in the Champions League group phase and are deemed highly likely to bypass the knockout play-offs entirely, Chelsea and Spurs find themselves in European play-off spots midway through the competition.
Tottenham, though unbeaten, currently sit 10th in the league phase, having drawn both away matches. Chelsea, 12th in the phase, has struggled on the road, with a loss to Bayern Munich and a draw with Qarabag.
This leaves both clubs facing the prospect of a two-legged knockout play-off to reach the Champions League last-16, with Opta Analyst suggesting Chelsea have a nearly 69% chance of needing the play-off, and Tottenham over 71%.
Crucially, the first and second legs of these play-offs are scheduled for the weeks beginning February 16 and February 23, respectively.
This period coincides exactly with two pivotal Premier League matches for Arsenal: an away trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (weekend of February 21) followed by a home game against Chelsea (the following week).
The Daily Star suggests that forcing their rivals to contest two high-stakes, two-legged European ties immediately before and during this critical Premier League sequence could gift Arsenal a much-needed competitive edge in the title race, benefiting from the potential fatigue and distraction of their direct competitors.