Ex-Man Utd and England defender Rio Ferdinand (Picture: YouTube)
Rio Ferdinand says it could be ‘goodnight’ for Arsenal in the Premier League title race if they fail to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners were threatening to pull off a historic quadruple just two weeks ago but back-to-back defeats has forced Mikel Arteta to adjust his ambitions.
Arsenal missed out on their first major trophy since 2020 as they lost 2-0 to Manchester City in last month’s Carabao Cup final.
Arteta would have expected his side to return to winning ways against Southampton but the Championship side stunned the Premier League leaders to book their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Arsenal are still in a position to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and lift the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
The Gunners boast a nine-point lead over second-placed Man City ahead of their next Premier League game, a home match against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Before that title favourites Arsenal begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Portuguese giants Sporting on Tursday night.
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Arsenal are still well clear in the Premier League title race (Picture: Getty)
Ferdinand ‘still’ expects Arsenal to be crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years but says he would fear for their title aspirations were they to drop points against Bournemouth this weekend.
‘This isn’t a slight at Arsenal and their players but at this moment it’s about who deals with the pressure best and experience counts for a lot,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
‘Man City have that so if they get within touching distance of Arsenal you guys are going to be in trouble because there’s been a momentum shift.
Southampton knocked Arsenal out of the title race (Picture: Getty)
‘They know this walk, they’ve walked this path too many times. Arsenal have walked it and finished runners-up so they don’t know the winning element of this, they’re still trying to get there.
‘This is where Mikel Arteta will earn his money. It’s not easy, I’m not saying it is, this is a difficult period of the season for Arsenal.
‘They’ve got Bournemouth at the weekend and that’s a tough game, if you don’t win that game… wow. And then you’ve got an in-form Man City the week after? It could be goodnight.’
@metrosportuk He’ll be waiting for Calafiori IF the Gunners lift the trophy 👀 Arsenal left back Riccardo Calafiori refused to sign a Premier League trophy sticker for a fan because the Italian hasn’t won it under Mikel Arteta as of yet, and says it’s superstition. 🎥 / @A&M Memorablilia #calafiori #arsenal #premierleague #signature #footballfan ♬ original sound – Metro Sport
Ex-England defender Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles at Manchester United, added: ‘Arsenal have a decent run-in, are nine points clear and have one of the less fancied teams in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
‘If someone had told you Arsenal would be in that position at this stage of the season with seven games to go, you would have bitten their arm off.
‘And yet I’m hearing big parts of the fan base, especially online, saying they’re not happy with Mikel Arteta and even some saying he needs to go. What is going on here?! Where are Arsenal fans at?’
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While Ferdinand has backed Arsenal to end their long title drought, he believes Manchester City, prolific winners under Pep Guardiola, ‘smell blood’ after their Carabao Cup triumph.
Man City thumped Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday and return to Premier League action against Chelsea at the weekend.
‘I think Man City can smell blood,’ Ferdinand said. ‘I thought the cup final was massive for City because if they won the momentum shift could be a big factor in the run-in.
‘Then Arsenal get beat in the FA Cup and confidence is lowered again. If they win their game in hand it’s down to six points and then they get to play Arsenal at home…
‘I don’t know man, it makes it very difficult for Arsenal. They’re a dangerous animal now, City, and have the experience on Arsenal.
‘They know what to do and have a manager who in the cup final I thought schooled Mikel Arteta and both sets of fans would have noticed that.
‘I still think Arsenal will win it, I think they still win it. But I thought they would win it by five or six points, now I think they’ll just scrape over the line, but it doesn’t matter how you get over the line as long as you do it.’
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