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Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season. The Frenchman believes it is unlikely that the Gunners will let their five-point lead (with a game in hand) slip in the second half of the season.
Saha said (via Metro):
"They look really good. They’re in a great position and have a game in hand, so it’s hard to see them drop many, many points. They’ve still got a number of crucial games left, but they showed on Sunday against Manchester United that they’re very concentrated, very professional and they can remain at the top of the table."
He added:
"It would be nice for the Premier League to see Arsenal upset the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, who’ve been at the top for the last four or five years."
Manchester City and Liverpool have dominated the English top tier for the past five years. The Cityzens have won two back-to-back Premier League titles in that time, while Liverpool have provided stern competition. The Reds lifted the Premier League title at the end of the 2019/20 season, when they finished with 99 points, 18 more than City.
This season, however, Liverpool have experienced a dip in form and Arsenal have taken their place as City's main rivals. The Gunners are first in the standings with a game in hand and a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.
As Saha stated, Arsenal are in pole position to win the title this term. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners will win their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 campaign.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's response when asked whether his players believe they are champions
Arsenal secured an emphatic 3-2 victory over Manchester United on Sunday (22 January) as Eddie Nketiah grabbed a last-gasp winner. The Gunners' win against the Red Devils could have huge ramifications in their title race against Manchester City.
When asked whether the victory could help his players believe they are champions, Arteta said (per the club's official website):
"I hope it does, not that they are champions, but that they are good enough to play against these teams and perform the way we've done it. At the same time, don't get confused and we talked about that in the last two or three days, that we know our reality, we know still how much we have to improve and we know what has taken us to the position that we are in today and we have to reinforce that every single day."
The Gunners will next face Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 27 January.
