Mikel Arteta says title race is too tight to predict who will finish on top

Mikel Arteta said he can see no clear favourite emerging for the Premier League title as he pointed to small margins that have seen Arsenal slip seven points behind leaders Liverpool.

Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge has taken on added importance following a run of one point from three games.

Consecutive away defeats to Bournemouth and Newcastle have been part of an alarming drop-off in form leaving the Gunners outside of the top four ahead of facing Enzo Maresca’s in-form side, with Wednesday’s 1-0 Champions League loss to Inter Milan rounding out a run of three defeats in six in all competitions.

However, with rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa also struggling having lost their last three, Arteta suggested his team’s recent woes might be part of a wider trend.

“I don’t see teams (in the Premier League) that are that superior to their rivals,” he said. “There’s a team that has been consistent in terms of their results, that’s been Liverpool and you can see the numbers they’ve won. But the margins are much smaller.

“Winning is the best formula for everything; for energy, belief, confidence, for the noise inside and outside, to create momentum and positive surroundings.

“It helps for everything, even if you don’t deserve it.”

The trio of defeats has cast doubt on Arsenal’s ability to challenge both in Europe and domestically as they seek to end a 21-year wait for the title.

The team failed to score in each of them, and the losses at San Siro and St James’ Park were notable in that Arteta did not call upon Raheem Sterling from the bench when his side were in need of a goal.

The Chelsea loanee has made a limited impact since arriving on a year-long deal on transfer deadline day, with the sense growing that the 29-year-old is running out of time to revive his waning career.

Asked why Sterling was left on the bench against Newcastle and Inter, Arteta said: “That’s a decision of mine, nothing to do with Raz. If somebody got it wrong it was me.

“It’s the feeling that you have, an understanding of how you can damage the opponent and picking a different player and profile for that moment.”

Declan Rice is a doubt for the game at Stamford Bridge after the midfielder broke his toe against Newcastle, whilst Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz are late fitness tests.

However, captain Martin Odegaard is in contention to make his first start since September after returning as a late substitute in Milan following a long spell out with an ankle injury.

“We’ve been used to playing every three days, every two and a half days, it’s been extremely demanding,” said Arteta of the team’s injury troubles.

“We have coped with that, with a lot injuries on top of that. We’re doing everything that we possibly can.

“We have better resources, we have players that are used to it and that have done it before. Now we have many players that can cope with that better, and if injuries respect us we are well equipped to manage that.”

Published: 10/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub