Graeme Souness believes Arsenal have a key drawback within the Premier League title race with Manchester City this season.
The Gunners are eager to clinch their first top-flight trophy since 2004 this term after ending as runners-up for the last three seasons in a row.
Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the table after 16 games but have had somewhat of a recent wobble, losing at Aston Villa before a narrow home win over Twentieth-placed Wolves during which they needed a 94th-minute winner.
City, meanwhile, have won their last 4 Premier League games in a row, impressively beating Crystal Palace 3-0 away from home last day out, with Pep Guardiola’s second-placed side now just two points behind Arsenal.
Having been crowned English champions in 4 of the last five seasons and beating Arsenal to the title within the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, Souness feels City have a psychological advantage over the Gunners.
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Quizzed about Arsenal, City and third-placed Villa, Liverpool legend and football pundit Souness told Sky Bet: ‘Going to Crystal Palace will not be easy they usually [Manchester City] turned up and won.
‘City are only coming good at the fitting time, which is frightening for the remainder of them.
‘Aston Villa are a good team, but when you’ve won the title and you’ve won a title just a few times, you have got unbelievable belief in yourself and the players you’re sitting within the dressing room with.
‘Arsenal haven’t got that. City have gotten that. Villa haven’t got that. So, City will be filled with confidence.
‘They’ll be considering, “We’ll win this. Someone will bottle it. We’ll beat Arsenal after we play them, we’ll beat Villa after we play them again, and we’ll win the league”.
‘That’s what they’ll be considering. For Arsenal, they’ll be considering, “We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Let’s be sure we don’t bottle it this time”.
‘And that’s somewhat worm of their head. Villa have never been near in recent history, and that is all latest to them.
‘But who’s to say they can’t keep going? They’ve some really good players.
‘There could also be an issue up front for them as well. Ollie Watkins – [Unai Emery] is obviously not entirely completely happy with him because he’s not been starting him.
‘If he gets back scoring goals, then Villa will just go to a different level again.
‘You don’t should be playing well if you’ve got an out-and-out goalscorer who just keeps scoring for you.
‘If that keeps happening, the boldness throughout the team just grows. Then suddenly you develop into a formidable outfit.
‘So goalscoring is an important thing you’ll be able to have at a football club, and that’s why strikers cost a lot money.’
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