Gary Neville believes only one team can stop Arsenal from winning the Premier League this season. The Gunners have had some great performances of late, winning eight of their 10 league games this term.
Throughout October, Mikel Arteta’s side remained unbeaten, keeping clean sheets in all six meetings throughout the month. They continued their good form in their 2-0 away win against Burnley on Saturday, with goals from Victor Gokeres and Declan Rice. On Tuesday, they face Slavia Prague away in the Champions League before the difficult journey begins as they take on an impressive Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light. Here, Express Football brings you all the latest happenings coming out of Emirates Stadium.
Verdict on Neville’s title fight
Neville believes Liverpool’s return to last season’s form is the only obstacle stopping Arsenal from winning the title this time around. While analyzing this year’s Premier League challengers for NBC Sports, the former Manchester United defender remained adamant that Arteta’s side have addressed all requirements through their transfer activity and can finally win the long-awaited trophy.
He said: “Look, Arsenal could lose the title from here. I can understand why Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal players and even the fans would discount the idea that we have to win the title this season.”
“But they’re the most consistent team and they’ve come this far over three or four seasons now. In fact, I hinted at them winning the title the last three seasons and they clearly fell short. Last season, when Liverpool won it, I thought they should have been there because if Man City fell, I thought Arsenal had to be the team to do it.”
“I don’t think many people will be making excuses for Arsenal this season and it’s not that I’m putting any pressure on them. I just think they’re the best team in the league and they’ve got the right squad. It’s strange to suggest they should win the league from here because it’s only November, but they should and you don’t have to be Mikel Arteta or an Arsenal player to say that with confidence.”
Neville emphasized the team’s depth, adding: “The reason why I’m confident Arsenal will win the league is because they always think about what can stop them. If Liverpool had lost Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah last season, they would have been in trouble.”
“But I can’t think of any players that Arsenal could lose now. That would mean they lose the title…including the two centre-backs because of summer signings. Every position is covered. Bukayo Saka was that player in the past, but Noni Maduke came in during injury. Wherever they are, they’re properly doubled with the same level of quality or a slight drop off. So who’s going to take that away from them?”
“Arsenal will have to beat themselves if they don’t want to win. I don’t think Man City will go back to their previous level and come back to Arsenal. Pep Guardiola is a genius, but neither the players nor the team are playing at the level they need. Liverpool are the only team, but they will have to get back on track very quickly.”
Victor Gokeres expresses concern
Mika Richards has questioned Jokeles’ eligibility for big matches at Arsenal, questioning whether the Swedish forward can perform when it matters most on the pitch. So far, the 27-year-old has scored six goals in 14 appearances for the Gunners, two of which came in the Champions League.
Appearing on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards revealed his uncertainty over whether Joe Keles has what it takes to maintain Arsenal’s place at the top of the league in the final crucial months of the season, and urged him to step up if necessary.
“The question will be Gokeres, can he make a difference in the big games, because right now he’s doing really well for the team in terms of stretches, but he’s missing a lot of chances that could be a disadvantage at the end of the season,” he said.
“I know they have Kai Havertz back, but Gokeres needs to make a difference in a bigger team, in the final stages of the Champions League. When the league gets really difficult, you play three times a week. If you have Real Madrid in one week, Man City or whatever it is, that needs to be the difference.”
Lineker agreed with Richards’ assessment of Gokeres, but expressed optimism that the forward would improve with experience. The player commented as follows: “The criticism that people will probably make is that I don’t want to call him a flat-track bully, that’s a bit unfair because what he did in Portugal, he didn’t score that many goals against first teams and so far his (Premier League) goals have been against Burnley, against (Nottingham) Forest and against Leeds.
“So, I know what you’re saying. I think he’s going to have to play in some big games, but I think he’s off to a decent start.”
