It is too early to write off Arsenal in the title race. The 3-3 draw away to Bournemouth on Tuesday exposed many of the flaws in Arsene Wenger's team, but also illustrated a strength they have shown this season: the ability to bounce back. This has not always been true of the Frenchman's sides.
Arsenal go into the FA Cup weekend after a disappointing turn of the year. Defeats after leading in away games at Everton and Manchester City damaged hopes of closing the gap with top-of-the-table Chelsea by the halfway mark in the campaign. The shoddy display in the first 70 minutes at Dean Court added to the misery, but the break for the third round of the cup gives Wenger a chance to draw breath and assess his next move.
Wenger, 67, has the best squad and the most options of any side in the Premier League, but he erred at Bournemouth by rushing Shkodran Mustafi back into the team and playing Hector Bellerin despite knowing that the full-back was carrying an injury. These two defenders have been among Arsenal's best performers this season and their sub-par displays helped put the visiting side in a hole. Bellerin will get the recovery time he needs before the next league match away to Swansea City and Mustafi can ease his way back to full match fitness. Neither is likely to play as badly again this season.
Arsenal's main problem is central midfield. The loss of Santi Cazorla to what is increasingly believed to be a season-ending injury has upset the balance in the middle of the park. There are growing concerns at the Emirates that the 32-year-old's ankle problem may be serious enough to curtail his career. That would be a huge blow because Cazorla was becoming an increasingly vital cog in Wenger's team.
Wenger needs to find a midfield pairing that protects the centre-backs and allows Mesut Ozil to range forward unencumbered by defensive duties. Francis Coquelin's latest knock will not help, but Wenger can use the cup tie away to Preston North End to experiment a little in this area.
It is vital that the Arsenal manager gets it right quickly because January and February comprise the most important phase of the season for his club. The Swansea game is followed by home matches against Burnley and Watford. Nine points from these games is essential. After that comes the clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Feb. 2.
In the wake of the Bournemouth draw it is easy to write off Arsenal, but by the time they head to West London the title race could be a lot closer.
Chelsea travel to Leicester City and Liverpool before the end of the month. Antonio Conte has worked wonders with a squad that looked to be going nowhere at the start of the season, but a lack of cover in vital positions could start to show in the coming weeks. Conte has subjected Chelsea to a rigorous training regimen and they could begin to run out of steam as the winter pitches get boggier. Tottenham Hotspur were put through a similar exacting training programme last year and faded in the final weeks of the season.
February also offers opportunities for Arsenal. Hull City at home and Southampton away bracket a Champions League knockout tie away to Bayern Munich. They then start March by going to Anfield. Expect things to be considerably tighter at the top by then.
Liverpool, like Chelsea, have been undergoing strenuous fitness sessions under Jurgen Klopp. Conte and Klopp have the luxury of playing less games than the Gunners because they are not involved in European competition, but the intensity of the work on the training grounds may in part offset the advantage. Arsenal's style of football is less relentless than that demanded by Conte or Klopp and Wenger's bigger squad could soon become a factor.
What Arsenal need most, though, is for their two superstars to step up and produce a dominant second half to the season. Ozil's return from sickness will give the team a boost, as his ability to unpick packed defences will be vital. But Alexis Sanchez, who showed such frustration after the Bournemouth game, is the man who can really drag the team back into the title race.
Sanchez suits Wenger's scheme better when acting as a lone front man, chasing down the defensive line and performing as a spearhead. When Olivier Giroud is on the pitch, Sanchez is utilized in a wider position where he is less effective. His first instinct when picking up the ball on the wing is to cut in and shoot. Too often he fires in efforts from outside the box, through a forest of defenders or from improbable angles. Sometimes an early ball in to Giroud would be more threatening. Wenger needs to adjust the balance of his attack when featuring both Giroud and Sanchez.
Arsenal are far from out of the title race. Their capacity for late goals hints at mental toughness. They have won three league games with goals in the last 10 minutes and salvaged points in another two matches with late equalisers. Now they need to show similar fortitude in the second half of the season.