Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has launched a scathing assessment of Arsenal's title credentials, controversially stating that if Mikel Arteta's side win the Premier League this season, they would be "the worst team to win the league" in recent memory.
Title Lead Narrowed Amidst Attacking Concerns
The Gunners currently sit four points clear at the summit of the Premier League table, but their advantage was trimmed following a weekend defeat to Manchester United. With closest rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa both securing victories, Arsenal have managed to collect just two points from their last available nine, scoring a mere two goals during that period—both coming in the match against United.
Scholes' Stinging Critique on Team Selection
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes elaborated on his provocative viewpoint. "If Arsenal win the league, this could be the worst team to win the league," he asserted. "If you're thinking of picking a team of the season and picking the front four, nobody from the Arsenal team gets in that."
Scholes drew comparisons with previous champions, highlighting the attacking prowess of teams like Liverpool. He conceded that Bukayo Saka might be a candidate but remained unimpressed, noting: "He's not scored many goals this year or assists."
Attacking Statistics Reveal Worrying Trends
Arsenal's reliance on set-pieces has become a defining feature of their campaign, with the team scoring 26 goals from such situations—the highest tally in Europe's top five leagues. However, this has coincided with significant struggles in open play from their forwards.
According to Sky Sports data:
- Bukayo Saka has failed to score in his last 13 appearances across all competitions.
- Viktor Gyokeres has not netted a non-penalty goal in his previous 11 league outings.
- Gabriel Martinelli's goal drought extends to 13 consecutive Premier League matches.
- Noni Madueke has gone 25 top-flight games without finding the back of the net.
- Leandro Trossard has managed just one goal in his last 11 appearances in all competitions.
Carragher Echoes Concerns Over Lack of Superstars
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has reinforced Scholes' perspective, describing the situation as abnormal for a league-leading side. "When have you ever seen a team at the top of the table, who have been top by six or seven points, but if you were picking the best team of the Premier League so far, you wouldn't have one of their players in the front four?" Carragher questioned on Sky Sports.
He added: "That is not normal, that would never happen. The best team in the league would always have at least one, maybe two players [forwards], in the team of the season. Arsenal don't have that right now, and that plays into the fact that they don't have a genuine superstar at the top end of the pitch."
Arteta's Defiant Response and Internal Meeting
Despite the mounting criticism, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains steadfast in his belief that his squad will end the club's two-decade wait for Premier League glory. Following Sunday's defeat, Arteta convened what he described as a "beautiful" clear-the-air session with his players.
"I told them first of all how good they are and how grateful we are to share every single day with them," Arteta revealed on Tuesday. "And just make sure that we enjoy it with a lot of conviction, that it's going to happen (win the Premier League) because it's our moment and we really want it. This is going to be the mindset and where we're going to put the energy."
As the title race intensifies, Arsenal's ability to address their attacking deficiencies while maintaining their defensive solidity and set-piece threat will be crucial in proving their doubters wrong and securing what would be a historic first championship since 2004.
