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Former Premier League player Trevor Sinclair has opined that Arsenal haven't improved under manager Mikel Arteta as compared to former manager Unai Emery. His comments came after the Gunners' elimination from the semi-finals of the EFL Cup following a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Thursday.
Emery, after joining the Gunners in 2018, led them to the Europa League final where they lost 4-1 to Chelsea. He led the team to a fifth-placed finish in the league.
Meanwhile, Arteta won the FA Cup in his first season after joining as manager in December 2019. However, they could only finish eighth last season in the league, failing to qualify for any European competition.
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast about whether he saw any improvement in the Gunners between the two managers, Sinclair said:
“Definitely, no. The FA Cup win was a massive bonus for Mikel Arteta but put that aside I don’t think they’ve improved at all."
He added:
“It’s great to have young players in the team, especially boys you’ve developed in the academy, but as a team and threat to the major titles, to the top four, I don’t think they’ve improved at all.”
Arsenal need to finish top four in the Premier League now
With the loss to Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final, Arsenal can't possibly win a trophy this season. They aren't part of any European competition. They also bowed out of the FA Cup following a third-round 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month.
They currently sit in sixth position in the Premier League table, two points off fourth-placed West Ham United, with two games in hand. However, their fiercest rivals Tottenham Hotspur sit fifth, with three games in hand.
Meanwhile Manchester United are also level on points with the Gunners having played one more match.
It is likely to be a very tight race for top-four positions in the Premier League. Manchester City and Liverpool sit comfortably at the top. Chelsea, with their recent failures, seem to have been dragged down to the top-four race as well.
However, Arsenal are currently the only team amongst these to just have the league to focus on. All four of their competitors are still in the FA Cup. United, Chelsea and West Ham also have European competitions to look forward to. The Blues also have an EFL Cup final against Liverpool.
Hence, Arsenal will really need to consolidate their position and push forward to make it to the top four this season.
