Arsenal, 'The Intolerables': Why no one wants Mikel Arteta's side to win the Premier League title

The Gunners find themselves seven points clear of City and potentially a short time away from winning their first Premier League crown in over 20 years,

For much of this season, it has been easy to dismiss the vitriol sent in Arsenal's decision as what it often is performative nonsense on the internet. Mikel Arteta's league leaders get hate online because most everything gets hate online. It's the internet's default reaction. For instance, there's this football writer who works for a U.S. site but is based out in London, and I swear half his posts must be snarking on about how awful Oasis and their meat and potatoes, leaden-footed, dodgy photocopies of Beatles songs are. What a nerd. Where does he get off?

Wednesday night, though, felt rather different. There is no great animus between Brighton supporters and the team from north London. They don't particularly like the way Leandro Trossard maneuvered himself to the Emirates Stadium, and they've taken understandable glee in spoiling a few title charges in recent years, but that didn't seem to explain the vituperative energy of the Amex Stadium. Spurred on by Fabian Hurzeler's withering assessment of the Premier League leaders, Brighton fans howled at every free kick that went Arsenal's way and roared their disapproval when restarts were delayed.

It was several levels up from the "second again, ole, ole" chant that has followed Arsenal around for months now, but it was of a piece with that more mirthful warning. The rest of the Premier League really don't want to see Arsenal sat at the top of the tree come May 25. Arsene Wenger's Invincibles have become Mikel Arteta's Intolerables.

For Arsenal's direct rivals, it is easy to see why a Manchester City triumph is more appealing. When Pep Guardiola wins trophies, every club that is not owned by a nation state has a ready made explanation for why it was them, not us. That there are over 115 charges hanging over City, all denied by the club, makes it even easier to rationalize why your team can't win the league. If Arsenal do, there's nothing about what they've done that is particularly beyond the realms for the rest of the so-called Big Six. When Arteta was appointed, the Gunners ranked below all the other five in terms of revenue and were desperate to trim back their wage bill, not add to it.

With glory in their sights, Arsenal have spent heavily, but in net terms Manchester United and Chelsea have put more into their squad for less returns. Whatever might be thought of their football, more on which later, Arteta, Edu and their employers delivered a blueprint in how to revive a sleeping giant.