Rio Ferdinand says it could possibly be ‘goodnight’ for Arsenal within the Premier League title race in the event that they fail to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners were threatening to tug off a historic quadruple just two weeks ago but back-to-back defeats has forced Mikel Arteta to regulate his ambitions.
Arsenal missed out on their first major trophy since 2020 as they lost 2-0 to Manchester City in last month’s Carabao Cup final.
Arteta would have expected his side to return to winning ways against Southampton however the Championship side stunned the Premier League leaders to book their place within the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Arsenal are still able to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and lift the Champions League for the primary time within the club’s history.
The Gunners boast a nine-point lead over second-placed Man City ahead of their next Premier League game, a house match against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Before that title favourites Arsenal begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Portuguese giants Sporting on Tursday night.
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Ferdinand ‘still’ expects Arsenal to be crowned Premier League champions for the primary time in 22 years but says he would fear for his or her title aspirations were they to drop points against Bournemouth this weekend.
‘This isn’t a slight at Arsenal and their players but at this moment it’s about who deals with the pressure best and experience counts for lots,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
‘Man City have that so in the event that they get inside touching distance of Arsenal you guys are going to be in trouble because there’s been a momentum shift.
‘They know this walk, they’ve walked this path too persistently. Arsenal have walked it and finished runners-up in order that they don’t know the winning element of this, they’re still attempting to get there.
‘That is where Mikel Arteta will earn his money. It’s challenging, I’m not saying it’s, this can be a difficult period of the season for Arsenal.
‘They’ve got Bournemouth on the weekend and that’s a tricky game, if you don’t win that game… wow. After which you’ve got an in-form Man City the week after? It could possibly be goodnight.’
Ex-England defender Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles at Manchester United, added: ‘Arsenal have a good run-in, are nine points clear and have considered one of the less fancied teams within the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
‘If someone had told you Arsenal would be in that position at this stage of the season with seven games to go, you’ll have bitten their arm off.
‘And yet I’m hearing big parts of the fan base, especially online, saying they’re not joyful with Mikel Arteta and even some saying he must go. What is happening here?! Where are Arsenal fans at?’
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While Ferdinand has backed Arsenal to finish their long title drought, he believes Manchester City, prolific winners under Pep Guardiola, ‘smell blood’ after their Carabao Cup triumph.
Man City thumped Liverpool 4-0 within the FA Cup on Saturday and return to Premier League motion against Chelsea on the weekend.
‘I feel Man City can smell blood,’ Ferdinand said. ‘I believed the cup final was massive for City because in the event that they won the momentum shift could possibly be a giant factor within the run-in.
‘Then Arsenal get beat within the FA Cup and confidence is lowered again. In the event that they win their game in hand it’s right down to six points after which they get to play Arsenal at home…
‘I don’t know man, it makes it very difficult for Arsenal. They’re a dangerous animal now, City, and have the experience on Arsenal.
‘They know what to do and have a manager who within the cup final I believed schooled Mikel Arteta and each sets of fans would have noticed that.
‘I still think Arsenal will win it, I feel they still win it. But I believed they’d win it by 5 or 6 points, now I feel they’ll just scrape over the road, nevertheless it doesn’t matter the way you recover from the road so long as you do it.’
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