{"id":314620,"date":"2026-04-07T04:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T23:11:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=314620"},"modified":"2026-04-07T04:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T23:11:07","slug":"goodnight-rio-ferdinand-names-team-that-might-end-arsenals-title-charge-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/07\/goodnight-rio-ferdinand-names-team-that-might-end-arsenals-title-charge-football\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Goodnight!’ – Rio Ferdinand names team that might end Arsenal’s title charge | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ex-Man Utd and England defender Rio Ferdinand (Picture: YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rio Ferdinand says it could possibly be \u2018goodnight\u2019 for Arsenal within the Premier League title race in the event that they fail to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Arsenal missed out on their first major trophy since 2020 as they lost 2-0 to Manchester City in last month\u2019s Carabao Cup final.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Before that title favourites Arsenal begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Portuguese giants Sporting on Tursday night.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Southampton\t<\/div>
Arsenal are still well clear within the Premier League title race (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ferdinand \u2018still\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

\u2018This\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0a slight at Arsenal and their players but at this moment\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0about who deals with the pressure best and experience counts for lots,\u2019 Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Man\u00a0City\u00a0have\u00a0that so in the event that they get inside touching distance of\u00a0Arsenal\u00a0you guys\u00a0are going to be in trouble because\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0been a momentum shift.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Southampton\t<\/div>
Southampton knocked Arsenal out of the title race (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018They know this\u00a0walk,\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0walked this path too persistently. Arsenal\u00a0have\u00a0walked it and finished runners-up in order that they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know the winning element of this,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0still attempting to get there.<\/p>\n

\u2018That is where Mikel Arteta will earn his money.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0challenging,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not saying it’s, this can be a difficult period of the season for Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019ve\u00a0got Bournemouth on the weekend and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0a tricky\u00a0game, if\u00a0you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0win that game\u2026 wow. After which\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0got an in-form Man City the week after? It could possibly be goodnight.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Ex-England defender Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles at Manchester United, added: \u2018Arsenal\u00a0have\u00a0a good run-in, are nine points clear and have considered one of the less fancied teams within the\u00a0quarter-finals\u00a0of the Champions League.<\/p>\n

\u2018If someone had told you Arsenal would\u00a0be in that position at this stage of the season with seven games to go, you’ll have bitten their arm off.<\/p>\n

\u2018And yet I\u2019m hearing big parts of the fan base, especially online, saying they\u2019re not joyful with Mikel Arteta and even some saying he must go. What is happening here?! Where are Arsenal fans at?\u2019<\/p>\n

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While Ferdinand has backed Arsenal to finish their long title drought, he believes Manchester City, prolific winners under Pep Guardiola, \u2018smell blood\u2019 after their Carabao Cup triumph.<\/p>\n

Man City thumped Liverpool 4-0 within the FA Cup on Saturday and return to Premier League motion against Chelsea on the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel Man City can smell blood,\u2019 Ferdinand said. \u2018I believed the cup final was massive for City because in the event that they won the momentum shift could possibly be\u00a0a giant factor\u00a0within the run-in.<\/p>\n

\u2018Then Arsenal get beat within the FA Cup and confidence is lowered again. In the event that they win their game in\u00a0hand\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0right down to six points after which they get to play Arsenal at home\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know man, it makes it\u00a0very difficult\u00a0for Arsenal.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0a dangerous animal now, City, and have the experience on Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u2018They know what to do and have a manager who within the cup final I believed schooled Mikel Arteta\u00a0and each sets of fans would have noticed that.<\/p>\n

\u2018I still think Arsenal will win\u00a0it,\u00a0I feel they\u00a0still win it. But I believed they’d win it by 5 or 6 points, now I feel\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0just scrape over the road, nevertheless it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0matter the way you recover from the road\u00a0so long as\u00a0you do it.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Rio Ferdinand names \u00a3100m star as \u2018first-choice\u2019 transfer goal for Man Utd\u2019s midfield<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: \u2018It\u2019s laughable\u2019 \u2013 Ian Wright blasts \u2018pathetic\u2019 criticism of Arsenal<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: William Gallas tells Mikel Arteta to interchange two Arsenal stars to assist Viktor Gyokeres<\/span><\/p>\n

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