Although the World Cup has taken over the minds of football fans over the last few weeks, on Boxing Day the Premier League will return with much at stake. Arguably the biggest prize up for grabs is the Premier League Title which currently sees Manchester City and Arsenal as the two favourites.
Mikel Arteta's side sit top of the table, five points clear of City after winning 12 of their opening 14 games. There are still over 20 games to be played by every team before the final places in the league table are decided, but Arsenal have certainly put themselves in a favourable position.
Gabriel Jesus' knee injury and subsequent absence until at least February has been a blow for Arsenal and although the 25-year-old has not scored since the North London Derby win against Tottenham on October 1, 2022, he is integral to how Mikel Arteta's side play.
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Granit Xhaka has explained who he thinks can fill in for Jesus, but his absence may weigh heavy on Arsenal's other attacking options. That could prompt Edu and Arteta to look for more depth in the forward departments in January.
Mykhaylo Mudryk, Cody Gakpo and Marcus Thuram are just a few names linked with the Gunners over a potential winter move and that was before Jesus was condemned to spend the next few months on the side-lines.
While Arsenal have undoubtedly been negatively impacted by the mid-season World Cup, there is one particular positive Arteta can take from the six-week pause that could have a huge say in the title race.
OLBG, Online Betting Guide, have conducted research into the minutes played in Qatar by those who represent Premier League teams, and Man City have comfortably clocked the most minutes.
Pep Guardiola's players have played a whopping 3,768 minutes of game time already, while Arsenal players have tallied up just 1,621 minutes. As well as the 2,147-minute advantage, Arsenal only have six representatives left at the World Cup while City have nearly double with 11.
Had it not been for a World Cup in November, City and Arsenal would have still been playing regularly, but battling every three or four days with so much on the line in the blistering heat of the Middle East could have a significant say in the title race once the season reaches its final embers and fatigue becomes a factor.
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