Paul Scholes has doubled down on his comments that Arsenal will not be regarded as a great team, even if they win the Premier League this season. The former Manchester United midfielder outlined his reasoning despite ex-Gunner Ian Wright bursting into laughter when Scholes' previous remarks were read out by Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast.
Scholes Stands by His Assessment
Arsenal are currently on course to become Premier League champions and are also in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. With games remaining against West Ham, Burnley, and Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta's side are firm favourites to secure their first league title in over two decades. However, the north London side have failed to convince Scholes of their quality.
The 11-time Premier League champion wore a cheeky grin as he heard his former criticisms read back to him, but it was Wright who found it funniest, laughing out loud and placing his head on the table as Neville recounted Scholes' words: "If Arsenal win the league, it won't feel like they were the best team. It'll feel like the rest of the league has been awful."
Scholes, however, was not about to back away from his position. "I do stand by a lot of it," he said. "I just don't think they're the best of champions that we'll ever see. I don't think we'll talk about this team in years to come."
Wright interjected: "Arsenal fans will because what they're doing..."
Scholes admitted he had reconsidered slightly: "I have had a little bit of a rethink. People call them bottlers last few years, but it takes a bit of time to get there. I remember when City were coming and I always remember you [Neville] saying 'City are coming, City are coming' when they're finishing second, third, fourth in the league."
He continued: "I always think, you don't always have to beat the top teams. They've not beaten City, they've not beaten Liverpool – these have been the best teams for the last five or six years – and that's why I don't think teams will speak about them being a great team. I know you can get away with not winning those games, but to be a great team, you've got to beat a great team."
Roy Keane offered: "But that could happen in the next few years."
Scholes replied: "There's every chance. I think that will propel them to be a great team. I'm talking about this year, where they're going to win the league. They wouldn't have beaten City, wouldn't have beaten Liverpool – United beat them."
Wright Defends Arsenal's Season
Wright then offered a defence of his former team, suggesting that some of the club's best form from earlier in the season had been forgotten. He believes scrutiny on the team more recently has clouded people's judgment.
"The start of the season, the way Arsenal started, when I think it was after 45 minutes Gary was saying 'it's over, Arsenal are going to do it'. We were playing so well. No one talks about that stage of the season where Arsenal were dominating defence, midfield, scoring goals. Once they got to the place, then all the criticism comes. The manager, what's he doing with all the gimmicks? Everything, this player's injured, he's not fit, is Eze going to do it? That all happened at a time where Arsenal are trying to get it done when people are calling us bottlers."
Keane added: "Do you know what, Wrighty, it's not about being popular, is it? If you're in the Arsenal camp, they're not as nice to watch as Man City, but they have to do it their way. If you look at the table, look at the wins, the goals for, against. There has to be a thumbs up to them for that."
Scholes agreed with his former teammate: "It doesn't matter how you do it. If we were playing in the team, not playing great but you'd won the league, who'd care? They deserve everything they get. My point was I don't enjoy watching it. They're not a team where I think 'brilliant team'. Where I've sat back over the years – even Liverpool last year or under Jurgen Klopp, 'what a good team' – I just don't see that with Arsenal. You can win it all different ways, of course you can, it doesn't matter how you win it, I'm just trying to say they're not a team I'd turn on to watch."
