A poor run of form saw Arsenal fall from the top spot on Wednesday, but Patik Vieira insists they have every means to surpass Manchester City.
Patrick Vieira has urged Arsenal to get back to the games they were winning earlier this season (Image: Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
Patrick Vieira has praised Arsenal, saying: “They know how to win” despite the Gunners’ surprising decline in form.
The Gunners chose the worst possible time to experience a late-season slump, with Manchester City at the top of the table on Wednesday night. Arsenal have been at the top of the table for over 200 days, but now they have to deal with their long-time rivals.
City’s lead is slim, with only goals leading, while Arsenal are hopelessly out of form. They have lost four of their past six matches and have been eliminated from both domestic cup matches. Defeats to Bournemouth and City also narrowed their lead at the top of the table.
Arsenal have endured some late-season slumps in the past and will need to find some form of form if they are to fight back against City. But Vieira, who last won the title with the Gunners, insists they just need to rely on their quality as they have had a long winning habit.
The player said on the club’s website: “I think they just need to remember where they are and why they are here. I mean, they’re at the top of the league, which means they’re in the semi-finals of the Champions League, but if you don’t have quality, if you don’t have team spirit, if you don’t have cohesion, you can’t get to that level.”
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“The important thing is to win games, and they know how to do that because they’ve been doing that for the last seven or eight months. I want to say this in the last spurt: It’s important that we don’t forget the quality that got them to where they are today, because that’s what will help them win.”
City’s FA Cup qualification means Arsenal will have two games to play before the Manchester side take to the pitch for a Premier League match. There is a chance they could widen their lead by six points, but in order to do so they will need to beat Everton on March 14th for their first league win.
Arsenal lost to Man City on Sunday in what could have been a decisive game (Image: 2026 Simon Stacpoole/Offside)
Despite their quality, Arsenal are looking to end a six-year wait for a trophy. Their team lacks players with experience winning silver medals, and Arteta could end up second in another title race, in which case doubts will be asked.
In 2023 and 2024, Arsenal led City, but a loss in the final week allowed the Manchester team to go ahead and win the league. Guardiola told his team they needed to perfect their remaining five games if they wanted to regain their title as champions.
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