Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes, has made a bold prediction about the outcome of this year's Premier League title. Despite Arsenal's inconsistent performance against top-tier teams, Scholes believes that the Gunners could 'canter' to victory.
Arsenal last won the league in 2004 and were not initially considered favourites for this season. However, they currently boast a seven-point lead at the top of the table ahead of their Sunday clash with Manchester United. This unexpected turn of events is largely due to Liverpool’s disappointing run towards the end of last year and Manchester City’s recent poor results.
Mikel Arteta’s team started off as second or perhaps even third favourites to win before this season began, trailing behind reigning champions Liverpool and Manchester City. But now they have taken a commanding lead in what has become an unpredictable title race.
Criticism and challenges faced by Arsenal
Despite their impressive standing on the leaderboard, there are some criticisms directed towards Arsenal this season. The main concern lies with their record against other top sides in the division. Arteta’s side have already played five out of six league matches against other current top four teams – City, Aston Villa and Liverpool – but have only managed one victory so far. Initially, Scholes thought that these games would be crucial for defining Arsenal's chances at securing a title win this season.
Paul Scholes, Manchester United legend, said:
‘One thing Arsenal haven’t done is they haven’t won a big game, beat a Liverpool or a Man City, they still haven’t done it. And I said earlier in the season that I can’t see them winning the league unless they start beating those types of teams.
‘But looking at how many points Liverpool and City are dropping, I don’t think they are going to have to. I think it could be a canter for them. In other years gone by, City or Liverpool would be closer, and that’s the time when you have to win those games.’
However, given how inconsistent performances from other teams have been recently - particularly those who were expected to be leading contenders - he concedes that these previous losses might not matter as much now.
Man Utd vs Arsenal
This weekend sees another challenge for Arteta’s team as they face off against Scholes’ former side - Manchester United. The Red Devils will undoubtedly be energised by their recent 2-0 win against City under the leadership of interim head coach, Michael Carrick.
Scholes believes that if Carrick continues to guide the team in this successful manner until the end of the season, fans will be demanding his permanent appointment. This upcoming match will not only be a test for Arsenal's title hopes but also a significant moment for Manchester United's future direction.
While Arsenal's performance against top-tier teams has been less than stellar this season, their current lead in the Premier League suggests they could still secure a victory. As Scholes' prediction indicates, it seems that consistency might be more important than ever in this unpredictable and exciting title race.
