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Former England ace Gary Lineker has criticized those who have accused Arsenal of bottling their opportunity to win the Premier League. Lineker claimed that the Gunners still have a real shot at ending their 19-year-long league title drought at the end of the season.
Having played out three consecutive draws in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side have surrendered their advantage to second-placed Manchester City. The FA Cup finalists currently trail the Gunners by five points but have two games in hand. If the Cityzens avoid defeat in their meeting with the Londoners on April 26, they could take full control of their Premier League fate.
In an interview with the Irish Times, which took place before Arteta’s men drew 3-3 with Southampton on Friday (April 21), Lineker slammed Arsenal’s critics. When asked to predict the Premier League winners for the 2022-23 season, the Leicester City legend said:
“I tipped Arsenal from about November, but now I think it’s 50/50 between them and Man City. I still think they’ve got a real chance. If they can get anything on Wednesday, I think they’ll win it. If they don’t, it’s difficult.
“City can win every game because they’re so good. People are saying Arsenal are bottling it and that’s nonsense. Two away draws [2-2 vs Liverpool and West Ham United] is not bottling it.”
He continued:
“I suppose they have given away leads, but away from home [those things can happen]. But they’re a good side, a really good side. If it’s not this season, it will come. They’re well-managed, good recruitment, great young players, they’ll be fine.”
A draw would no longer work for the north London outfit this week. They need maximum points from their trip to the Etihad Stadium this week to regain their Premier League advantage. Ominously, they have not won at the Etihad Stadium since January 2015.
Finishing second in the Premier League would still be Arsenal’s best result in the last five seasons
Arsenal fans are eager to see their club lift the Premier League title this season, which would mark their first league triumph since 2004. Before they endured three consecutive draws in the English top flight, they looked on course to end the drought. Now, defending champions Manchester City look to be the favorites to clinch the title.
While losing the race would undoubtedly hurt, the Gunners should not be too disappointed about a second-place finish. In the last five Premier League seasons, they have not even been in the title race conversation, let alone lead it until Matchday 32 (currently 75 points). Last season, they finished fifth (69 points), which was a massive improvement over their eighth-placed finish (61 points) in the 2020-21 season.
In the 2019-20 campaign, they came eighth (56 points) while the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons saw them finish sixth (63 points) and fifth (70 points), respectively.
Needless to say, they did not qualify for the Champions League in that stretch, with their last qualification coming in the 2015-16 season. That time, too, they finished second (71 points), behind Leicester City in the Premier League race.
