November 11th 2024.
Mikel Arteta has faced some challenges at the start of the season, but there are still plenty of games left to turn things around. Despite being nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, both Frank Lampard and Michael Owen remain optimistic about Arsenal's chances of winning the Premier League title.
In their recent match against Chelsea, the Gunners managed to secure a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal, but Pedro Neto equalized for the home side. While a draw against Chelsea is a respectable result, it was their sixth time dropping points in 11 Premier League games, leaving them trailing behind in fourth place.
With Liverpool's win over Aston Villa and Manchester City's loss to Brighton, Arne Slot's side now sits five points ahead at the top of the table with a goal difference of +15. This puts them in a strong position, with their closest rivals, City, having a goal difference of +9. However, Owen believes that Arsenal has the potential to close the gap and make a comeback.
Despite the nine-point deficit, Owen was impressed with Arsenal's performance against Chelsea and believes that with players like Martin Odegaard returning from injury, they will start to string together some wins after the international break. He stated, "It feels like their big players are coming back, confidence is coming back. It looks to me like they're going to start picking up points very soon."
Chelsea legend Lampard agrees and believes that Arsenal will improve while Liverpool will also face some tough moments in the season. He said, "After a tough run, I don't think we should forget who they are and what they've built. They have a good team, a very good coach, and a physically strong team." Lampard also pointed out that Liverpool will have their own "blip" at some point, giving Arsenal a chance to catch up.
Former Arsenal player and icon Ian Wright believes that the team's struggles have been due to injuries and suspensions. However, if Arteta can field the same team that played against Chelsea, Wright is confident that Arsenal will be able to turn things around and secure some wins. "If we can put that team out, you have to be confident that they're going to be able to pull it back and win some games," he said.
Echoing this sentiment, ex-Arsenal star Theo Walcott believes that Arsenal's title hopes are still alive, despite their lack of goals. He pointed out that their run of fixtures has been tough, and they have been without their key player, Martin Odegaard, for most of the season due to injury. Walcott also believes that people tend to overlook these factors when criticizing Arsenal's performance, but these are reasons why they should not be written off in the title race.
In conclusion, while Arsenal may currently be trailing behind in the Premier League title race, there is still a long way to go. With key players returning from injury and a strong team, their chances of success are still very much alive. And as Lampard put it, "They certainly shouldn't give up that hope."
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