Can Arsenal hold their nerve?

This season’s Premier League title race could be one of the closest in recent history as four teams all have a strong chance of getting their hands on the trophy this season.

Following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at home to Leicester, where they came from 1-0 down at half-time to win the game thanks to a stoppage time winner from Danny Welbeck, the Gunners have reduced their deficit behind the league leaders and are nicely poised going into the final third of the campaign.

Despite the defeat, Leicester have more than highlighted the fact that they are serious title contenders this year. They have the hottest striker in the country in Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez has been one of the players of the season so far, and they went into the game at the Emirates on the back of a fantastic 3-1 victory away to Manchester City the week earlier.

At this important stage of the 2015/16 Premier League season, it is important that Arsenal have a squad that is fully functional. Arsene Wenger will be encouraged by the return of Welbeck in that victory over the Foxes. If he can have two strikers fit for the final stages of the campaign, where the Gunners will also be contenders in the Champions League and FA Cup, it will help their chances of securing silverware massively.

Not only is Welbeck on the verge of returning to the starting XI, but Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will give Wenger options going forward.

Arsenal’s Premier League campaign has so often being hampered by injuries to key players when it has come down to the final few months of the season. If they keep their best XI fit, they arguably have the best chance of the four teams gunning for the title. Therefore, the 13/8 available on Wenger’s side in the Premier League betting odds could be a good bet.

The Gunners have not won the Premier League title since 2004. They landed the championship on that occasion with 90 points. It might not need a total as high as that to win it this time around.

Of Arsenal’s rivals for the title this season, Leicester have done incredibly well to go from a club on the verge of relegation 12 months ago to one of the best teams in the country. A win at the Emirates in their recent clash with Arsenal could have put them six points clear of the Gunners, a healthy margin at this stage of the season.

Leicester were as big as 5000/1 at the start of the campaign to win the 2015/16 Premier League. If they do go on to lift the trophy, it will be one of the biggest shocks in English football history. Whatever happens, it has been a fantastic season for them and it looks like it will end up with them playing Champions League football in the 2016/17 campaign, but they may just fall short of the championship.

Tottenham and Manchester City will also both fancy their chances of the title, so it is a case of who can hold their nerve when the pressure is on for the final push for the trophy.