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The holiday season, encompassing both CHRISTMAS and New Year, is often one of the busiest times for many, with travel frequently being a key component of the plans.
This is particularly evident in the realm of football, where Arsenal also faces a packed timetable.
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Lucky for Arsenal, their Christmas schedule comes with an unexpectedly low amount of travel over their next 13 matches.
They will venture outside of London only ONCE before January 22, with three away games occurring all within the city.
The match against Brighton on January 4, 2025, will be the only Premier League fixture that is not a London derby and takes place away from home.
Notably, Arsenal will host nine of their games at the Emirates Stadium during this period, beginning with Manchester United on Wednesday and concluding with Dinamo Zagreb on January 22.
Throughout this span, they will travel just under 250 miles.
Brighton contributes a significant 177.4 miles to that total.
Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Brentford will each add 21.2, 26, and 24 miles respectively.
Mikel Arteta and his squad could have worried about travel fatigue from a potentially tough FA Cup third-round matchup.
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However, they were fortunate to have minimal travel in tonight’s FA Cup third-round draw, as they will compete at the Emirates against Manchester United.
This arrangement means they will face both Crystal Palace and Man Utd twice during this timeframe.
Moment huge brawl breaks out in West Ham end with punches thrown and fan knocked to ground in London derby vs Arsenal
After their 5-2 triumph over West Ham on Saturday, which was an 11.8-mile journey, Arsenal finds themselves nine points behind league leaders Liverpool.
This favorable schedule with minimal travel could help them in bridging that gap.
During the same period, Arne Slot‘s team will make trips to Newcastle, Girona, Southampton, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford – all of which are quite a distance away.
Nonetheless, Arsenal aims to seize this opportunity and chase the leaders as the season unfolds, despite the fact that a nine-point lead has never been overturned in Premier League history.
Arsenal ratings vs West Ham
The London derby between WEST HAM and Arsenal turned out to be one of the most exhilarating matches in recent memory, with SEVEN goals scored in the first half alone.
The Gunners raced to a 4-0 advantage within just 35 minutes, only for the Hammers to react with two swift goals, including a spectacular free-kick from Emerson.
Bukayo Saka’s penalty just before the break made it 5-2, marking the fourth time in Premier League history that seven goals have been netted before halftime.
A quieter second half ensued, with Mikel Arteta making several substitutions, particularly with an eye on the impending clash with Man Utd at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
This victory propelled the Gunners into second place in the Premier League, six points behind Liverpool ahead of the critical match between the league leaders and a struggling Man City on Sunday.
Check out how SunSport’s Charlie Pittock rated the Arsenal players.
