Alan Smith believes there’s only one player Arsenal cannot afford to lose for an prolonged time period as they chase a long-awaited Premier League title.
The Gunners will look to keep up their four-point lead at the highest of the Premier League on Sunday after they face north London rivals Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta’s side have amassed 26 points from their first 11 league games of the season, losing only once and conceding only five goals.
Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League since 2004 but are the favourites to secure the title ahead of second-placed Manchester City, faltering defending champions Liverpool and possible dark horses Chelsea.
Smith believes it’s a ‘two-horse race’ for the title between Arsenal and Man City and says his former club’s resolve shall be truly tested should they be without Declan Rice for a major time period.
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Rice has hardly missed a game for Arsenal since his £105m move from West Ham in 2023 and is taken into account top-of-the-line midfielders on the planet.
Asked how Arsenal will deal with any injury blows as they bid to grow to be champions, Smith told Metro on behalf of BestBettingSites: ‘We’ve seen Arsenal lose a few key players, haven’t we?
‘Martin Odegaard was perhaps the major one but [Eberechi] Eze got here in and we haven’t really seen a drop-off.
‘Declan Rice could be a giant loss if he got injured because you’ll lose that drive in midfield and his set-piece ability which has grow to be so essential. They haven’t really got anybody to switch Rice.
‘The defence has been superb but even on the back, [Cristhian] Mosquera has are available at times and so they’ve got [Piero] Hincapie as well, so Rice could be the largest loss for me.’
One other Arsenal hero, Lee Dixon, also views Rice as a very powerful player to the Gunners’ title bid.
‘The squad is so strong and has two players for every position,’ Dixon told Metro on behalf of OLBG.
‘ the quilt they’ve got in every position, the one player they don’t really have a substitute for is Declan Rice.
‘He’s that sort of all-round midfielder, box-to-box. He obviously can play deep and we see him do this for Arsenal.
‘Rice is the guts and soul of Arsenal’s midfield and links the back 4 and makes runs into the box. And likewise, let’s not forget, he’s probably one of the best corner-taker in world football.
‘No one takes a corner like he does. He sticks it underneath the crossbar each time.
‘So I feel I’d probably stick my neck out and say if Arsenal were going to lose one player for a time period that may affect the team, it will be Declan Rice.’
Smith believes Manchester City are Arsenal’s biggest rivals for the Premier League title and has ruled Liverpool out of the race.
‘I assumed it will be difficult to make firm conclusions if the match between Man City and Liverpool was close,’ Smith added.
‘But City were so significantly better and superior that now you’re taking a look at Liverpool and doubting they’ve enough for the title challenge.
‘Arsenal and Man City, it is going to be a two-horse race between those two. It’s going to be fascinating to see how that develops.’
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