Arsenal had a merry Christmas, but a happy new year? Not so much.
On Dec. 23, they went to Anfield, scored in the fourth minute and took a point against from arguably the hardest fixture on their schedule. The 1-1 draw with Liverpool ensured that the Gunners would be top of the table on Christmas, and it was a great place to be, since 10 of the previous 14 clubs who were in first on Dec. 25 also ended the season in first.
The result against Liverpool followed a dominant, should've-been-more-than-just-2-0 home win against Brighton. With Manchester City both struggling and falling behind in the games-played column due to the Club World Cup, Arsenal had built up a six-point lead on the three-time defending champs. What's more, the Gunners prevented Liverpool, a point back in second, from gaining any ground from a fixture they were favored to win.
- Stream the FA Cup on ESPN+: Liverpool vs. Arsenal (Sunday, 11 a.m. ET)
You no longer needed to squint really hard or own multiple Abou Diaby jerseys in order to think that Arsenal were the favorites to win the Premier League. Per Stats Perform, they had the best expected-goal differential in the league and they had the most points in the league.
But then it all fell apart. They lost their next two matches against West Ham and Fulham. They're five points back of Liverpool, they're closer to fifth than first, and they're even on points with Manchester City, who still have a game in hand against the worst team in the league. Of the last 15 points available, Arsenal have taken just four.
What went wrong? What is wrong? And could it already be too late for Arsenal to turn it all around?