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Football London
Football London
Sport
Daniel Childs

Key questions Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham must answer as major Premier League obstacle arises

Saturday sees Arsenal face Leeds, Spurs travel to Everton, Chelsea welcome Aston Villa, Fulham take a trip to Bournemouth, Brentford take on Brighton, Crystal Palace battle Leicester and West Ham hope to beat Southampton.

Arsenal, Spurs, Fulham, Brentford, Chelsea, West Ham and Crystal Palace all have at least 10 league fixtures left to play with Chelsea and West Ham still in European competition. Given the precarious nature at the wrong end of the table, any one of the nine teams from 12th down could still face the drop to the Championship which makes for increased stress.

There is still the potential of two London clubs facing relegation, whilst the title could return to the capital for the first time since 2017. As we prepare for the final stretch, football.london takes a look at each London club and the key narrative facing them before the final day.

READ MORE: Stunning new Arsenal kit design emerges for 2023/24 home shirt with Premier League prediction

Arsenal - Can Arteta end the title wait?

At this point, it is probably hard for Arsenal fans to reject the reality of their club being in a title race which creates extra pressure and potential heartache if the next run of games goes wrong.

Mikel Arteta has slayed the Champions League demon, with qualification back to Europe’s top tier a formality now but the chance to give a buzzing Emirates its first Premier League crown would feel like a monumental step for a club that has seen such frustration since the move from Highbury in 2006.

Little suggests the Gunners will fade, given their rampant response to the defeat against Manchester City in February with two dramatic late winners against Aston Villa and Bournemouth giving the smell of title-winning moments.

But when there are trips to Anfield, The Etihad and St. James Park left to face, these feel poetically appropriate given how troublesome all three of those trips were for Arsenal last season.

Those are likely to be the games that define this title race, to turn a highly impressive young squad into champions.

Spurs - Managing the post-Conte limbo

There was no way back for Antonio Conte after his public Southampton outburst but the collateral damage is still being felt by a club that once again lacks direction.

With the Fabio Paratici drama off the pitch adding more fuel to a chaotic flame, the unique situation of Conte’s assistant Cristian Stellini staying behind to end this troubling season places Spurs in a state of limbo.

Champions League qualification is still within their control but it is hard to feel certain the farcical nature of recent weeks will not play a role in how this season ends as the club waits to appoint a permanent coach in the summer.

A double against Manchester United and Liverpool at the end of April looks daunting but there is enough opportunity to cling to fourth spot.

Chelsea - Potter still needs to convince supporters

Chelsea’s league season looks pretty dead at this point. Wins over Leeds and Leicester pretty much ended any brief worry of a relegation battle for a club that has spent £600m this season. But the upcoming Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid keeps the interest in this troubling season alive.

In what has been a brutal introduction to the Chelsea dugout for Graham Potter, the under-fire coach must give evidence he can handle the scrutiny and pressure that comes with such a role. Upcoming clashes with Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United give him chances to repeat the unity found against Borussia Dortmund.

But if Chelsea fall to Real Madrid tamely and few of those big encounters end well, the mood around west London could turn bleak again, ending a pretty joyless season on a sour note. That could give Todd Boehly and the club’s hierarchy the temptation for a summer change given Julian Nagelsmann's availability.

Fulham - Coping without Mitrovic

Both Fulham and Aleksandar Mitrovic will likely be breathing a sigh of relief that his ban was not longer than three games after shoving Chris Kavanagh in a wild moment of anger at Old Trafford.

But that feels less critical for Marco Silva given how this season will be viewed favourably after pre-season expectations of another relegation fight. The opportunity to finish above both of their west London rivals Chelsea and Brentford is enough incentive to cap off a pretty historic season, even with the chance of a return to European football since the days of Roy Hodgson via the Conference League.

Eyes will turn to the summer and how Fulham can reinforce to ensure their stay in the Premier League is extended beyond 2024.

Brentford - European dream with tense Toney wait

Like Fulham, there is a concern over a striker, this time with Ivan Toney and the potential ban that could be forthcoming. Whilst that wait goes on, Thomas Frank has an amazing opportunity to end a stronger second year in the top flight in style, still with a chance at European football.

Few predicted just a smooth second year in the Premier League given the slump in form last term but Frank’s approach has created a highly effective team, akin to the impact Bolton and Blackburn once had in the mid 2000s. That should not be taken as an insult, it is a demonstration of a club pulling above its weight and maximising its resources.

Finishing above Chelsea would be a landmark achievement and a justification for the data-led model that was highly sneered at years ago. But with a new stadium, top-tier club and unified squad, Brentford will likely look at this season as another big step forward.

Crystal Palace - Finding goals post-Vieira

Sacking Patrick Vieira to turn back to Roy Hodgson does not reflect a club looking forward and trying to find progressive solutions with limited resources. The form was concerning, as was the lack of goals but now Palace have to solidify their Premier League status to justify such a short-term act.

Bear in mind, Hodsgon was brought into Watford last year to do a similar job and failed. The problem for Palace has been the over-reliance on Wilfried Zaha, which could reach its peak this term when it appears that his goals or lack of will be dependent on survival.

Micheal Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi all are highly talented youngsters that Hodsgon should be leaning on with a likely counter-attacking style being put in place to elevate what has always been Palace’s biggest strength which is their speed in transition.

The mantra of “three teams worst than us” feels applicable to Palace who with a strong defensive unit look more capable to grind out some very dull performances to just avoid the drop.

West Ham - Keeping Moyes a mistake?

It is quite remarkable that David Moyes has remained in his position given the majority of changes in the dugout with those around them.

West Ham have to come to the realisation they are actually in a relegation battle and not a freakish slump. Even if their Europa Conference League escapades offer a route for joy come May, maintaining a top-tier spot is non-negotiable for a club that was in a Europa League semi-final 12 months ago and dreaming of a Champions League spot the year before.

Declan Rice will be off in the summer but he remains the rare jewel in a broken crown. Moyes looks lost, falling back into the muddle that soured his reputation at Manchester United and Sunderland before he revitalised it with The Hammers. It feels like a change earlier could have made a difference.

In terms of quality, West Ham still have one of the better squads in the relegation mix with talents like Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings all offering something for Moyes to work with even if they have not shown such inspiration to this point.

READ NEXT:

Arsenal can recall Gabriel Jesus against Leeds United with Thomas Partey replacement on standby

Chelsea face two 'scary' issues in selling Mason Mount and Todd Boehly must act

Tottenham's next manager stance, the Julian Nagelsmann decision and Cristian Stellini's big task

Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium

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