Graeme Souness has ruled Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal out of challenging Liverpool for the Premier League title this term, despite our team already showing the kind of fight needed to be champions, and I think we deserve more credit.
The Gunners will make the trip to Anfield to take on the Premier League champions on Monday with a 100% record in tact, after two league wins, a win in the Community Shield against the Reds, as well as having beaten Leicester City in midweek in the Carabao Cup.
Despite their positive start to the campaign, the Scottish former footballer and manager is disregarding our side to build on their impressive 2020 thus far by challenging for the title.
“If Thiago is a signing to top off a team that was already strong enough to retain the Premier League, then Arsenal are nowhere near challenging for it,” Souness told his column at The Times.
“They finished eighth, 43 points behind Liverpool, last season, and that’s not a gap that you close in one transfer window.
“The knockout tournaments are again their best chance of success this season. Trying to retain the FA Cup, a decent run in Europe and maybe the Carabao Cup.”
Mikel Arteta has brought vast improvements at the Emirates in such a short space in time, and almost the whole squad has improved under his guise.
Souness could well have to eat his words come Monday when me make the trip to Anfield, but a win could well force all the critics to stand up and take note that Arsenal need to be considered as challengers for the Premier League this term.
Does Souey need to judge Arteta’s Arsenal on the last 10 months or does our form previously count against us?
Patrick
