Despite their "ugly appearance," Arsenal are the strongest contenders for the title.

Once touted as one of the teams with the most attractive play at the beginning of Manager Mikel Arteta's era, Arsenal has now transformed into the "Ugly One." The new face of "The Gunners" became increasingly evident after defeating the hosts Brighton & Hove Albion, 1-0, in the continuation of the English League, Thursday (5/3/2026) early morning WIB.

In that match, Arsenal scored from their only shot in the first half. The goal in the 9th minute had an element of luck. The ball from the shot by Arsenal's winger, Bukayo Saka, slightly changed direction after hitting Brighton midfielder, Carlos Baleba. Brighton's goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen, seemed to be deceived.

In fact, Arsenal was under more pressure throughout the match. They even appeared to be wasting time, both during set pieces and when the goalkeeper took goal kicks. This, in effect, frustrated the home team.

"Only one side tried to play football today. I'll never be a manager who tries to win by wasting time like that. I always want my players to develop and continue playing as they should," Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler said, angrily criticizing Arsenal, as quoted by the BBC.

Hurzeler's statement is supported by statistical data. Opta recorded that Arsenal only made two shots on goal during the match. Meanwhile, Brighton repeatedly threatened and made 11 shots, with 3 of them on target. Arsenal was indeed very passive in their play, as evidenced by their ball possession, which was only 40.1 percent.

Unsurprisingly, with such a passive style of play, Arsenal has only recorded an expected goal rate of 0.43. This figure is the lowest Arsenal have recorded in any competition they have participated in throughout the 2025-2026 season. "It's embarrassing," said Premier League analyst Chris Sutton, commenting on Arsenal's recent performance.

Sutton's statement, a former Chelsea player, was made after Arsenal defeated his former team, 2-1, early Sunday (1/3/2026) WIB. Similar to the match against Brighton, Arsenal also played pragmatically in the London derby. Both goals they scored were entirely from set-piece situations.

There's a reason Arsenal prioritized pragmatism and defensive toughness against Brighton.

Once again, Arsenal abandoned the tiki-taka style of ball control that was inherent in the early Arteta era. They only recorded ball possession of 41.1 percent. There were no dangerous opportunities created through open play and the one-two touch passing combinations that have become their trademark in the past.

"Again, another set-piece from Arsenal. I don't think they'll win it (the title) if they continue like that. Even if they do, will they be the worst-looking champions in Premier League history?" Sutton later said, as quoted by the Mirror.

This season, Arsenal has indeed become the most hated team. Many have criticized their performance this season. They often win without playing well or being attacking, which contrasts with the characteristics of the team's play during its last period of glory under legendary manager Arsene Wenger.

"Arsenal are not looking for a champion," wrote ESPN.

Arsenal truly doesn't need friends, let alone praise. Praise is often a blinding illusion, as evidenced by their repeated failures over the past three seasons. For three consecutive seasons, from 2022-2023 to 2024-2025, they finished as runners-up behind Manchester City or Liverpool. Yet, in those three seasons, they averaged over 80 goals per season.

In the 2023-2024 season, for example, Arsenal is said to be a team that plays attractively. Supported by a fiery and energetic young squad, their productivity is above the average champion over the previous 31 seasons in the English Premier League.

At that time, Arsenal scored a total of 91 goals from 38 matches. They also recorded an average of 2.32 points per match, 2.41 goals per match, and a goal difference of plus 1.65 goals per match. These figures are significantly higher than the averages of Premier League champions over the previous 31 seasons, which were 2.29 points per match, 2.15 goals per match, and a goal difference of +1.32 goals per match.

However, the result? Arsenal was overtaken by City in the last two weeks before the league ended due to player fatigue and the still limited squad depth. They were only two points behind "The Citizens," who became champions. The wounds from that failure subsequently shaped Arsenal into what it is today.

Therefore, learning from experience, there is a reason for Arsenal to prioritize pragmatism and defensive resilience when facing Brighton. Against an opponent known for their aggression, Arsenal will be without their best center-back, William Saliba, who sustained a minor injury during the match against Chelsea. In fact, without Saliba, Arsenal's average win percentage is only 42 percent. Conversely, if he is present, Arsenal's win percentage increases to 69 percent.

In addition to being without Saliba, Arsenal played pragmatically, often wasting time, as they needed to conserve energy and reduce the risk of injury. This is a consequence of their packed match schedule. In a single week, they could play two to three times. After facing Brighton, for instance, they are set to meet Mansfield in the FA Cup match on March 7, 2026.

Unlike other teams, Arsenal still has the opportunity to win in four competitions simultaneously, namely the Premier League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. In the League Cup, they have even secured a ticket to the final to face City on March 22.

So, it's clear they no longer care about the trappings of the best or worst team. Attractive play won't buy them a title, the very thing they've been yearning for for the past 22 years. So, Arsenal will do whatever it takes, including wasting time to maintain a narrow lead or relying on set pieces to score.

Like corto muso, the narrow-win philosophy popularized by Juventus to dominate the Italian League a decade ago, Arsenal's pragmatic approach is very much in evidence this season. The three points over Brighton were Arsenal's tenth win by a narrow one-goal margin in the Premier League this season.

Opta noted that only in the 2003-2004 season did Arsenal record more narrow victories by a one-goal margin. During that same period in the season, the Gunners achieved 12 narrow victories. Interestingly, that season was the last time they became champions of the English League. Remarkably, Wenger's team went unbeaten throughout the season, earning them the title of "The Invincibles."

This season, Arsenal is experiencing a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of the end of their golden era 22 years ago. Despite their perceived poor form, Arsenal are the clear favorites to win the title this season. Opta's supercomputer simulations show that Arsenal have a 93.60 percent chance of winning the title. This figure is nearly absolute, far surpassing their only rival in the title race, City (6.40 percent).

Arsenal, which has accumulated 67 points from 30 matches, now leads by seven points over City, which has gathered 60 points from 29 matches. Although there are still eight weeks remaining, Arsenal supporters are immersed in the expectation that they will become champions, regardless of the criticism regarding their "ugly" style of play.

“Now you all believe, we will be Premier League champions,” sang Arsenal fans after beating Brighton.