Arsenal fans can dare to dream as quadruple jigsaw begins to fall into place

Arsenal have eased into the Champions League quarter-finals, are clear in the Premier League, have reached the EFL Cup final and are still in the FA Cup - could Mikel Arteta be about to claim a clean sweep?

The fans are beginning to get all giddy and wide-eyed at the prospect. They couldn’t, could they?

Logic - and history - tells you that, no, Arsenal could not do a historic quadruple. And yet when fans who have followed the club home and away for decades are beginning to believe something special is on… then it is easy to see why they are getting carried away.

They were talking about it straight after Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen. The pieces in the jigsaw are falling into place and suddenly you can see a path opening up.

It is also the reason why, down the years, while clubs remain in the hunt for multiple trophies it is dangerous for supporters to start dreaming let alone talk about it.

Arsenal are still in the mix for a unique quadruple of the Premier League title (they currently sit nine points clear of Manchester City at the top).

They are into the quarter-finals of the Champions League after knocking out Bayer Leverkusen to book their place against Sporting CP. It is not only the bookies who make them favourites to win the Champions League but also the statisticians, too.

Opta give Arsenal a 78 per cent chance of progressing into the semi-finals, a 54 per cent chance of reaching the final and 32 per cent chance of winning it.

Arsenal face Man City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium which is their first chance of glory - and also Mikel Arteta’s first chance of winning silverware since he won the FA Cup in his first season in charge in 2020. That will be tough - although Opta give them a 63 per cent chance of success - but you can also make a strong case that the FA Cup quarter-final at Southampton on Saturday, April 4, could be a huge obstacle.

Why? Because Arteta is certain to rest and rotate his squad to keep them fresh for the Champions League ties with Sporting.

In between those Sporting ties, Arsenal host Bournemouth at home - currently set for Saturday lunchtime on April 11 - and that will be a test because they have got to juggle competitions. And this is why it is so hard to do it - and why no team has done it before.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Manchester United completed a historic Treble in 1999 when they won the title, FA Cup and Champions League. But lost in the League Cup to Tottenham in the quarter-finals. City won the Treble in 2023 and that was only the tenth time in history any team in Europe has managed that sweep.

That shows how hard it is. And, why, despite Arsenal aligning the stars at this stage will probably fall well short.

You also have to take into account the number of games and tiredness creeping up. Famously in 1980, Arsenal were in the hunt for major trophies - then ended up exhausted and empty-handed, losing the FA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Arsenal do boast a big squad and, despite Eberechi Eze having an up and down season, his stats do prove he comes good in May. Since he joined Crystal Palace, his goal involvements in May are 1.3 which is way better than in other months.

However, Arsenal still do not even have the title wrapped up - even as Opta give them a 97.6 per cent chance of emerging triumphant. They arguably need four wins, two draws and can afford one defeat from their remaining seven games.

That means winning all their home games - Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham and Burnley - will help ensure they win their first title in 22 years.

They could even afford to lose at City next month because they have a nine point cushion even if Pep Guardiola’s men have a game in hand. That would take them to 84 points - and surely the title.

This is why, as Arsenal fans filed out of the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, they were daring to dream.