Home

Soccer

Ex-Arsenal Star Snubs Mikel Arteta & Co.’s Chances of Winning the Premier League – “I Think It Won’t Be This Year”

Published 01/09/2024, 2:31 AM EST

Follow Us

After a scintillating start to the season, the wheels are coming off for Arsenal. They have exited from both the domestic cup competitions and have just 1 win in the last 7 games. Their only hopes of winning a trophy remain the Premier League and the competition they have never won, the UCL. It seems hopes are low among fans as an Arsenal veteran wrote off its chances for glory while making an observation regarding the squad’s depth with the pressure of lining up a first XI every ‘three days‘. Could this prove to be fatal for Mikel Arteta and the team once again?

Despite ending Christmas as the table toppers, Arsenal found themselves 4th on the table, 5 points behind Liverpool. With Man City set to welcome Kevin De Bruyne & Jeremy Doku back from injury, things are not looking good for the Gunners.

Club icon pinpoints Arsenal’s ‘quality’ that lags behind Man City

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit seems to have lost confidence regarding Arsenal’s title hopes following recent results. Petit said, “I always said that I would love Arsenal you know win the Premier League, but I think it won’t be this year. He further added, “They need to add more quality players if they want to compete on every table you know every three days, and for me at the moment they are not ready for that.” The Frenchman further discussed what separates Arsenal from the likes of Manchester City.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Soccer stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

He explained, “Manchester City are stronger you know when you look at the bench. With all the respect I have for Arsenal, they don’t have the same quality players on the bench that can make a difference.” Heavy words by the pundit, but the results are there for everyone to see. This is the first time Arsenal is playing in the UCL under Mikel Arteta. The squad is already quite thin after injuries to key players. This has led to others being overworked and has impacted their form and consistency.

The January transfer window is now open. Perhaps it could be the window of opportunity for the Spanish tactician to address two of his biggest problems.

Can Mikel Arteta fix Arsenal’s issues before it’s too late?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Arsenal’s biggest issues lie with their forwards and the absence of defensive anchor Thomas Partey. The attacking quartet of Bukayo Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus & Kai Havertz have just 15 league goals between them. The lack of clinical finishing cost them recently against Liverpool where they couldn’t score despite having 18 shots.

Thomas Partey is a key component for Mikel Arteta, as he is masterful in the buildup phase. Yet, his season has been hampered by injuries, which means other midfielders like Declan Rice & Martin Ødegaard are not used in their best roles. Also, Partey has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. The rumours about Ivan Toney & Amadou Onana indicate that Arsenal is exploring the transfer market. Yet, it remains to be seen if they pull the trigger.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Can Arsenal win the league this season? Tell us in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Adithya Narayanan

544Articles

One take at a time

Soccer was the first sport I played in my life. It turned out to be my favorite one by an absolute mile. In my younger days, I became a Liverpool fan but it was only when Jurgen Klopp arrived that my passion for the game intensified.
Show More>

Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz