Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has issued a stern warning to Arsenal, insisting their current level of performance will not be enough to secure the Premier League title, despite Sunday’s narrow 2-1 win over Wolves.
Neville believes Mikel Arteta’s side must quickly raise their standards or risk being overtaken in the title race before they fully realise the danger. The former England international made his comments while analysing the match, which Arsenal won in dramatic fashion at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners took the lead in the 70th minute when Bukayo Saka delivered a corner that ultimately found its way into the net after taking a decisive touch off Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. However, Arsenal’s inability to fully control the game allowed Wolves to remain competitive deep into the contest.
Wolves were rewarded for their persistence in stoppage time when Tolu Arokodare headed home an equaliser from a cross supplied by Mateus Mane in the 90th minute, briefly stunning the home crowd and raising fears of dropped points for the league leaders.
Arsenal, however, responded almost immediately, benefitting from an own goal by defender Yerson Mosquera, which restored their lead and condemned Wolves to another disappointing result in their ongoing poor run of form.
Despite the victory, Neville was far from impressed with Arsenal’s overall display, stressing that such performances will eventually cost them in a tightly contested title race. He also pointed to Manchester City’s resurgence, after Pep Guardiola’s side cut the gap at the top to just two points with a convincing 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
According to Neville, Arteta would have been justified in delivering strong words to his players after the final whistle, even though they managed to secure all three points.
If you play like that too many times, then you will not win this league, Neville said during his analysis on NBC Sports. He added that the Arsenal players need to be more alert and consistent if they are to stay ahead of their closest rivals.
Neville acknowledged that while results remain positive, there has been a noticeable drop in Arsenal’s performances in recent weeks. He stressed that small margins at the top of the table can be decisive and warned that sustained dips in form often prove costly over the course of a long season.
Nevertheless, he admitted that the victory was significant, particularly given the pressure being applied by Manchester City and other contenders. Securing maximum points, even on off days, is crucial at this stage of the campaign.
Arsenal currently lead the Premier League standings with 36 points, but Manchester City are close behind on 34 points, keeping the pressure firmly on the North London club. Aston Villa occupy third place with 33 points, while Chelsea sit fourth, five points further back, as the title race continues to intensify.
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