EPL: Will Manchester City Spoil Arsenal’s Chances of a Championship?

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Sergio Aguero is the man to watch out for
Sergio Aguero is struggling with his injuries this season

It has been a wild first half to the Premier League season and one can only hope for the excitement to continue as we begin the second half in 2016. Two of the biggest stories in the Premier League have been the impressive run to the top by Arsenal and the shocking success of newcomers Leicester City. The two clubs sit first and second in the league, respectively, and we must say that it is a bit refreshing to see a bit of a change in the teams at the top of the table. Although, one of the usual suspects still boasts a fair shot of taking the title.

Arsenal is looking at its best chances of hoisting the Premier League trophy in more than a decade, which is a welcome change of pace for the team’s supporters. Despite a nasty string of injuries that has waylaid more than seven of the team’s starting players, the squad still sits at number one in the league after an impressive run throughout the first half of the season.

However, some experts believe that Manchester City is simply waiting for the right time to strike and spoil Arsenal’s hopes of Premier League glory. Although Leicester and Arsenal have taken much of the headlines so far, the Citizens sit only three points from the top. With a team of veterans that have championship experience, we already know that the squad has what it takes to win titles and succeed when the pressure is on.

One of the biggest factors concerning City’s success will be the health of striker Sergio “Kun” Aguero. The Argentinian has struggled with a difficult series of injuries this season that he still seems to be recovering from, but that didn’t stop him from heading home a decisive goal to secure victory over Watford. Despite the injuries, Aguero still knows how to put his team on his back and score goals when necessary. He’s actually the sixth-highest goal scorer in the Premier League with eight total. Not bad at all for a player who has only appeared in 10 matches so far this season.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini said it will still probably take several games for Aguero to be at peak fitness and emphasized his how crucial the player is to the squad. “We know Kun needs three or four games to return to his top performance. For him, the goal (against Watford) was important,” said Pellegrini. “Hopefully, he can go on. He is very important to our team, more than just one player.”

At the start of the season, City were initially backed as the second favourites to win it all. And with Chelsea’s downward spiral and the consistently lackluster performance of Manchester United, those chances seem to be looking better by the day. If City can manage to stay healthy, a top-three spot is almost guaranteed. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Manchester City steal the silverware right from under Arsenal’s nose.

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