Paul Scholes has poured cold water on Arsenal’s title ambitions, insisting there is “no chance” of Mikel Arteta’s side lifting the Premier League trophy this season.
The former Manchester United midfielder believes the Gunners have fallen short when it matters most, pointing to recent results in games where they were widely expected to perform.
Arsenal sit two points clear at the top of the table despite Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 loss away at Aston Villa. Matty Cash fired Villa ahead in the first half, before Leandro Trossard levelled after the break. Villa stole the points in the final minute when Emiliano Buendia struck to send Villa Park into raptures.
Manchester City responded later in the day with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sunderland, a result that kept Pep Guardiola’s side close behind in the title race. Even with the setback in Birmingham, several pundits still regard Arsenal as the leading contenders. Scholes does not share that view.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, the United legend said Arsenal are not delivering when it matters.
“Man City have a great chance now, don’t they?” Scholes said on the show.
“I still don’t think they’re quite right but they always get better in the second half of the season and the thing with Arsenal is they can’t win a big game. Until they [Arsenal] start winning big games they’ve got no chance of winning the league.”
Scholes, who won the Premier League eleven times at Old Trafford, listed several fixtures where he felt Arsenal had fallen short, including defeats to Liverpool and Aston Villa, and their failure to beat a struggling Manchester City side at the Emirates. He also highlighted the draw against a ten-man Chelsea as another missed opportunity.
“Arsenal just can’t win big games,” he added, stressing that any club chasing the title must be capable of beating direct rivals and handling key moments throughout the campaign. “They can’t do it. Historically Man City always get better after January,” he stated.
