Arsenal legends Gilberto Silva and Ian Wright have had their say on how Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge may go this season. The Gunners are currently in third place, one point behind league leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta was pleased that Arsenal went unbeaten in the month of September, despite facing Paris Saint-German, Spurs and Manchester City.
“It’s been a really tough period since the last international break in terms of fixtures, the amount of injuries we had and teams we had to play,” he said after the Southampton win. “But the team shows an incredible capacity to adapt to various contexts. They are really willing, they really want this and I’m really happy where we are.”
The Gunners came very close to winning the league last season, but fell to Manchester City in the final weeks. Arsenal have showed their intent and mentality after they held City to a draw at the Etihad, frustrating Pep Guardiola and other City players in the process.
Ian Wright has said any injury to Bukayo Saka could derail the Gunners’ season. The former Arsenal player was speaking on The Kelly & Wrighty Show.
‘He’s constantly being compared to different players and what they’re doing but his consistency since he’s been in the team has been amazing,’
‘At the moment, out of the top five leagues, he’s got the most assists and people do ask about how good he is.
‘But I’m not really fussed in that respect because, on a regular basis, from the time he’s been in there, and remember he’s only 23, he’s still delivering top performances with creation, defensive work and everything he does for the team.
‘One thing we all worry about at Arsenal is the amount of games he plays and hopefully he doesn’t break down.
‘But when you look at him, he’s doing everything that we all expect him to do and that’s why, maybe, it’s underrated.’
Gilberto Silva says home form will be key in the title race
Former Gunner Gilberto Silva also weighed in on what could cost Arsenal this season. Last year, an unfortunate loss to Aston Villa at home all but sealed the title for Manchester City. Silva believes this should not be the case this year.
“When we look at the Arsenal team, the players, the team, the formation, the balance between the sectors is very well defined. It is important to go far,”
“The signings that have been coming in have been important, with results, this also makes the whole job easier. It’s not just about hiring, you need to hire athletes who come in and wear the shirt and deliver results for a team like Arsenal.
“It won’t be easy, again. It is important to learn from past mistakes. In the last two seasons, they made crucial mistakes against smaller and mid-table teams, especially at home. They have to do this homework very well this season.”
