Theirry Henry has been getting carried away with the optimism over Arsenal and our chances of winning the Premier League this season. Despite the Gunners bouncing back well this month from a nightmare November, the former Arsenal forward feels that we have got away with some indifferent games and are quite fortunate to still be well in touch at the top.
The main reason for that, Henry writes in The Sun, is the failure of Man City to carry on the way they started the season. The French football pundit feels that they have not been able to cope with the loss of key players to injury in the same way that Arsenal have.
He thinks that their captain and Central defender Vincent Kompany is a huge loss to City and their expensive squad players like Otamendi and Mangala are not doing enough. He says the same of the former Arsenal right back Sagna who has been playing instead of the injured Zabaleta, whole Bony has yet to really show anything like the form that made City sign him from Swansea in the absence of Aguero.
The ex-Gunner declared, “If Manchester City had continued playing the way they started the season, they would virtually be champions by now.
“We all thought they were going to be unstoppable. But now they just look average.
“Arsenal have probably coped better with all their injuries because there is not such a difference in the quality of their squad. Yet they are still only one point ahead of City.
“Tomorrow’s game at the Emirates should have been first versus second and a match which would have a huge outcome on the destiny of the Premier League. But it will decide nothing because neither team has been consistent enough.
“Their back four looks very shaky without Kompany.
“They spent a lot of money to buy Otamendi, Mangala and Demichelis but there is no shape or understanding in the centre of the defence without the captain.
“Pablo Zabaleta has also been a huge loss this season.
“The Argentine has been one of the best right-backs in the world and City have missed his creativity down that flank
“Raheem Sterling was the hottest property in the League last year but has not yet discovered his consistency in a City shirt.
“I also thought that Wilfried Bony would simply carry on where he left off at Swansea, but it hasn’t worked out for him so far. City don’t carry the same threat when he is leading their attack instead of Aguero.”
Unfortunately for Arsenal it looks like Aguero might be fit to face us, but we are also hoping to have the brilliant Alexis Sanchez back. So it could be the team that defends the best that wins it and while City are without their talisman Kompany, Henry thinks that Arsenal have a big edge because of his fellow countryman at the heart of our defence.
He continued, “It’s lucky for Arsenal that Laurent Koscielny has been more or less available every week because he is probably their only outfield player who is irreplaceable.
“I regard him as the best defender in the league at the moment.”
So will Kos the boss give Arsenal the edge in the game against Man City and help us to take charge of the EPL title race?