"When Leicester won the league, everyone else was rubbish" – Glen Johnson takes brutal Arsenal dig with an interesting comparison
Former Liverpool star Glen Johnson has compared Arsenal's ongoing Premier League title charge to Leicester City's in the 2015-16 season.
The Gunners are currently atop the 2022-23 Premier League table with 57 points from 24 matches, just two points ahead of Manchester City.
While Mikel Arteta's side has outperformed their expectations so far, Liverpool and Chelsea have been in poor form this season. While last campaign's runners-up are currently seventh with 36 points from 23 games, the Blues are in 10th spot with just 31 points from 24 matches.
As things stand... https://t.co/d6YNXvKVIO
During an interview with ICE 36, Johnson was asked about him previously tagging Arsenal as a "one-season wonder". He responded:
"That's not quite right – I wasn't that harsh! I said that I didn't expect them to keep up this level of performance for the next four years. At the minute, all the top teams are underperforming. Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United to an extent, and I don't expect them to all underperform next year."
Johnson, who lifted one Premier League title with Chelsea, added:
"My point was that Arsenal are a bit like Leicester. When Leicester won the league, everyone else was rubbish and they didn't get close to winning the title again. The following season, they were nowhere near it. Arsenal are probably good enough to win the league this year, but I don't expect them to retain the title because all of the other big clubs will improve and bounce back."
The Gunners are next scheduled to be in action against Everton in their Premier League clash at the Emirates on Wednesday (March 1).
All eyes on Everton 💪 https://t.co/4d00uVFZL8
Glen Johnson opines on Arsenal's chances of holding on to PL points lead at the top
Speaking to ICE 36, Glen Johnson claimed that Arsenal is likely to suffer a dip in their form in the latter part of the ongoing season. He said:
"Arsenal keep getting really good results. Even when they haven't been performing, they have been winning, which is a sign of champions. I do expect them to wobble at some point because the players know they will be getting close and will want it so badly. The City players have the experience of winning it before – they've been there and done it – so they can be calm and I don't expect them to panic."
Sharing his thoughts on the Gunners' mentality, Johnson continued:
"There is always the danger that they could start to fumble if they have a bad result, but they showed how they can bounce back after dropping points against Everton, Brentford and Manchester City. I think it will all come down to how they deal with a setback. If they can get through a period where they do drop points and stay calm, then I think they are probably good enough to hold on."
After failing to register a win in three matches at the start of February, the Gunners have picked up all six points in their last two matches.