Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has described Arsenal as a 'boring' team that will quickly be forgotten, even if they secure the Premier League title this season. The former midfielder, speaking on the Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, criticised Arsenal's style of play and their record against other top clubs.
Arsenal's title challenge
Arsenal currently lead the Premier League by five points over Manchester City, who have a game in hand. The Gunners will clinch the title if they win all of their remaining three matches. However, Scholes remains unimpressed.
'I don't think they're the best champions we'll ever see. I don't think we'll talk about this team in years to come like great United teams,' Scholes said. 'You don't always have to beat the top teams - they've not beat City and Liverpool, the best teams for the last four, five, six years. That's why I don't think people will speak about them being a great team.'
Record against top sides
Arsenal have taken only eight points from eight matches against the rest of the top five. They have drawn one and lost one against both Manchester City and Liverpool, while beating Aston Villa and Manchester United once each, also suffering defeats to both. In contrast, they have won 14 of 17 matches against bottom-half teams.
Despite accusations of being boring, Arsenal have scored 67 goals in 35 games, just two fewer than Manchester City, the league's most prolific side. Their defensive record of 26 goals conceded is the best in the division, with City next on 32.
Scholes' previous criticism
This is not the first time Scholes has downplayed Arsenal's achievements. In January, he said on The Good, the Bad, and the Football podcast: 'If Arsenal win the league, this could be the worst team to win the league. If you're thinking of picking a team of the season and picking the front four, nobody from the Arsenal team gets in that. Look at previous champions – Liverpool's forwards, brilliant. Possibly the only one is [Bukayo] Saka, and I don't think he's been brilliant.'
Champions League and trophy parade
Arsenal could complete a historic double, having reached the Champions League final, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. The club is already planning a trophy parade in Islington in the event of success, though plans would be cancelled if they fail to win either competition.
