Arsenal have missed multiple chances this season to extend their lead at the top of the table.
They could have moved 12 points clear at one stage. But back-to-back defeats by Bournemouth and Manchester City mean the Gunners have now won just six of their past 13 league games and momentum has swung towards Guardiola’s side.
Arteta has said that “everything is still to play for” but now might be the time to let his attacking players express themselves.
Someone who knows all about a title being decided on goal difference is Wayne Rooney, who was part of the Manchester United squad that finished second behind City in the 2011-12 campaign.
Talking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney podcast, the former striker said his manager Sir Alex Ferguson “used to always say keep trying to score because it might be decided on goal difference”.
“At the time you’re thinking ‘it’s never going to go to goal difference’ but it did that one time.”
Kai Havertz is one of Arteta’s favourite players and he started instead of Viktor Gyokeres against City.
The German showed his ability to hold the ball up and link the Arsenal attack together but he is not a natural finisher and missed two crucial chances against City.
However, despite the swing in momentum, Rooney said: “I’d probably still have Arsenal as slight favourites.
“Arsenal have been trying to nick 1-0 wins but they need to change that mindset and go at teams and win by three or four goals.”
Arsenal have won 10 games by just one goal in the Premier League this season.
That means almost half of their wins have been by a single goal margin (10 of 21 – 48%), the highest percentage by a potential champion since Leicester in 2016 (61%).
But that does not mean that the Gunners can’t win the title with that method. The average number of one-goal wins in a title-winning campaign is 10.7.
Sergio Aguero’s goal for Manchester City against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011-12 season snatched the title away from Rooney’s United in one of the Premier League’s most famous moments.
Rooney has also benefitted from narrow wins leading to league titles.
He played for the 2008-09 and 2012-13 United teams that won the trophy with the most victories by a one-goal margin – both 16 – 57% of their wins.