“I don’t think Arsenal have proved that they can do that” - Paul Scholes outlines what Gunners ‘need' to do to win the Premier League
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has outlined what Arsenal need to do to win the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's side have come close in the last two seasons but failed to finish even with the title almost in their grasp.
Scholes, an 11-time league winner during his time with the Red Devils, believes the north London side needs to do better against bigger oppositions to secure the elusive title.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate by SkyBet, the Englishman said (via The Mirror):
“Arsenal have got to do better in the big games. At some point, they’ve got to beat Liverpool. If you want to go and win the league, you need to beat your big rivals – they’re big points and big games."
The former midfielder concluded, saying:
"You’ve got to have the mentality to beat these teams. I don’t think Arsenal have proved that they can do that, but I think Liverpool can. There is no proof of that yet against this brilliant City team, but out of the two teams, Liverpool are the ones more capable of doing it than Arsenal.”
The Gunners currently sit third in the league table, five points behind reigning Premier League holders and current leaders, Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's wards next face Newcastle United at St James' Park in the league on November 2.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta discusses the pressure of managing a big club
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta discussed the pressure of managing a club of the Gunner's stature in a recent interview. The Spaniard has been in charge of the north London side since 2019 and has revived the side, helping them to an FA Cup win and consecutive failed title charges.
Arteta spent the last five years of his playing career with the Emirates-based side, helping them to two FA Cup wins with 16 goals and eight assists across 150 games. He discussed the pressures that accompany such a massive club in his pre-match conference ahead of his League Cup clash with Preston North End, saying (via Arseblog):
"It’s very demanding and even if you do an incredible job, your job is going to be judged on whether you win or not, and if you win more than the exceptional teams already doing it in this league who have been doing it for nine years."
The Spanish tactician concluded, saying:
"That is the level. Nobody is going to value whether you transformed something, if they do it’s for a period of time, and even if you renew your contract, you can be in that position a few months later. We’ve seen that, it’s the reality of our job, we’re sitting here and we know that’s the case."
Arteta is contracted to the Gunners until the summer of 2027 after his recent contract extension with the club. He has averaged 1.98 points per game in his 244 games in charge of the club.