"If you're too cautious in football, you can't win trophies" - Arsenal legend explains why Man City will pip Gunners to Premier League title
Arsenal legend Jens Lehmann reckons the Gunners being too cautious would cost them the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta's side are currently leading the title race with 80 points from 35 matches. City are second with 79 points from 34 games. While Lehmann is happy with the way his former club has performed so far, he wants to see them lift silverware.
The legendary German goalkeeper, who benched Oliver Kahn in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, expressed disappointment at the way the Gunners were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich.
The former Invincible squad member added (via Daily Mail):
"They're vert different to us in terms of their approach- much more cautious and slower with the ball. Physically, they run a lot more and have more high-intensity runs but they don't play faster than us because we were a one-touch team."
Lehmann further said:
"They all take three, four touches at a time. And if you're too cautious in football, you can't win trophies. Most of the time, the bravest teams win the league. I would love them to win the title but that has cost them in certain games."
Arsenal, despite leading the league table for 248 days last season, lost out to City due to a last-bit collapse. This season, their performances in the tail-end of the campaign have been much better. However, Arteta's side still need the Cityzens to slip up if they are to win the league.
Jens Lehmann questions Mikel Arteta's goalkeeping decision at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta made a surprising call at the start of the season, replacing Aaron Ramsdale as the Arsenal number 1 with Brentford loanee David Raya.
Lehmann has been left baffled by the call, pointing out that Ramsdale has more experience of playing in big teams. Speaking on the same, Lehmann said (via Daily Mail):
"I never ever understood the (Aaron) Ramsdale decision. If you have a good, brave english keeper doing well at a English club and then you bring in a Spanish guy who's never played for a big club at that level- it just doesn't make sense."
While Raya has been reliable for Arsenal, keeping 18 clean sheets in 38 appearances across competitions, he has made a few high-profile errors, including a recent one against Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.