Chelsea hero Eidur Gudjohnsen makes daring title prediction after Arsenal defeat | Football

Eidur Gudjohnsen has confidently backed Manchester City to go on and win the title this season, claiming Arsenal have ‘already lost the league’.

Arsenal entered last weekend’s motion with an imperious nine-point advantage over Manchester City on the summit after 4 straight wins in the highest flight.

However the Gunners’ league form doesn’t paint the complete picture of their recent performances, with Mikel Arteta’s men seeing their quadruple hopes go up in smoke with defeat to Manchester City in last month’s Carabao Cup final.

Just six days later, Arsenal suffered one other major setback as they were denied a spot within the FA Cup semi-finals by Championship outfit Southampton following a rudderless display at St Mary’s.

With the squad’s confidence levels rocked, yet more disappointment followed on Saturday because the north Londoners lost at home to Bournemouth to provide City’s title hopes a major boost.

City – who’ve a game in hand over Arsenal – made light work of Chelsea 24 hours later to maneuver to inside six points of the leaders ahead of the edges’ eagerly anticipated showdown on the Etihad this coming Sunday.

And while Arsenal’s fate stays of their hands, ex-Chelsea forward Gudjohnsen cannot see Arteta’s side bouncing back after what has been a gruelling few weeks for the club.

‘Even the fans are going, “What can we do? How can we stop this?”… I believe they’ve already lost the league. We’re here to say our opinions,’ Gudjohnsen said of Arsenal on The Dressing Room Podcast.

‘Ultimately, it’s still in their very own hands. They should go to Man City, get a result, and in the event that they get a win then it’ll be huge.

‘I just don’t see it happening. The best way Man City played within the second half at Stamford Bridge, I felt I used to be watching the perfect team within the Premier League by far.

‘Just the power to maneuver the ball around, the physical a part of it. They’re all so strong. Jeremy Doku, how strong he’s! People just fall off him. Once you see Antoine Semenyo run, he just eats the pitch up.’

In response to Gudjohnsen, the overwhelming majority of Chelsea’s fanbase is not going to have been too upset to see their team lose to City given the potential impact the result could have on Arsenal’s title hopes.

He added: ‘I had that feeling throughout the match: I need Chelsea to be within the Champions League but I don’t want Arsenal to win the league.

‘I believe for those who speak to 80 per cent of the fans… I’d even go so far as nearly 100 per cent of Chelsea fans would go, “I’d sacrifice today just so Arsenal don’t win it”, it’s strange.’

Turning his attentions to Chelsea, Gudjohnsen was left massively disheartened by the shortage of ‘personality’ and ‘character’ he witnessed within the side’s defeat to City.

‘For those who see Manchester City within the March and April periods for the last seven or eight years, they at all times appear to be at their best and the precise opposite is occurring with Arsenal,’ the previous Iceland international explained.

‘Unfortunately, you may’t compare Chelsea to Manchester City now, but we needs to be comparing them because they’re similar size clubs, we expect Chelsea to be up there.

‘Have a look at the difference on the pitch in personality, in ability, strength, pace. And also you have a look at Man City’s bench and also you have a look at Chelsea’s bench, you may put whoever on for Chelsea but it surely’s not going to make a difference, they’re all the identical.

‘They’re all the identical age, nobody stands out, as in huge character. It’s just bland.’

Despite Arsenal’s poor form, Guardiola was adamant that his City side couldn’t afford to rest on their laurels when facing the media on Sunday – per week out from the edges’ meeting on the Etihad.

‘We’ve got done a great three games, but the perfect team in England to this point is Arsenal, the perfect team in Europe to this point is Arsenal since the numbers are there, the consistency they’ve,’ the Spaniard told reporters.

‘Prepare well this week, suggest what they are going to adjust in comparison with the Carabao Cup final and what we’ve to do with our people to attempt to perform well since it is what defines teams, the way you play.

‘The Champions League is a very different competition. In October, November to January and February, for those who don’t grow as a team and the best way you play, you don’t win.

‘We’ve got to insist to play higher and higher.’

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