Arsenal are in good company in one of the top lists in world football, emerging as the Premier League frontrunners.
It’s easy to forget that only three years ago, Arsenal were in a meltdown as Mikel Arteta led the Gunners to an eighth-place Premier League finish.
Arsenal’s fortunes in the 2020/21 campaign saw the North Londoners record their lowest league finish since the 1994/95 calendar, telling of the concern that surrounded the Emirates at the time.
Three years down the line Arteta is leading a title-challenging side, missing out narrowly to Manchester City for the previous two seasons.
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Only Real Madrid have more Ballon d’Or nominations than Arsenal
Aside from thriving within the walls of the Premier League, Arsenal are also becoming a force to be reckoned with in Europe once more.
The Gunners fell out of the Champions League at the quarter-final last term, with there hope that another charge in the prestigious competition can be achieved this year.
Aside from impressing on the pitch, Arsenal are also leading the way in another prestigious setting, as the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist was announced.
Four Arsenal players have made the shortlist, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and William Saliba making the cut.
Only Real Madrid (7) have received more nominations than the Gunners, with only Manchester City equalling Arsenal’s tally of four.
In terms of the Premier League, City and Arsenal are leading the pack in the Ballon d’Or, with Chelsea and Aston Villa also there.
Ballon d’Or nominations make for bad reading in the Premier League
Out of the 30-man shortlist, only 10 Premier League players made the cut, with Arsenal and City leading the way.
It’s a concerning outcome for the English top-flight, with the shortlist only making the gap between the top two and the rest of the league even more apparent.
The title race was firmly between Manchester City and Arsenal last season, with Liverpool being added to the mix along the way in years prior.
City could be on course to win their fifth-consecutive Premier League title this campaign, reinforcing the lapse in competition within the tournament.
Added to that, there’s a sense of uncertainty regarding the elephant in the room in the form of City’s financial charges, which need to be addressed as soon as possible.
The Premier League is become less and less competitive by the year when it comes to the title race, with the lack of recognition at the Ballon d’Or telling such tale.
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