Gary Neville believes we are seeing the “Arsenal of 20 years ago” – when Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles ruled English football – following another seismic result in a pulsating title race.
Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal side re-establish their five-point cushion at the Premier League summit following a deserved 3-2 win over Manchester United – but insists a successful title tilt will “demand almost perfection” for the rest of the campaign.
The Gunners are now unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League games, their longest unbeaten streak in the competition since going 14 unbeaten in December 2018.
“I really enjoyed it,” Neville said in his latest podcast for Sky Sports. “I just felt in the last half an hour, Arsenal had more quality.
“It felt like Arsenal were like they were maybe 20 years ago. When I was a player against them, I used to wish they’d shoot from distance or cross it – but they would play that extra pass to get it into wide positions.
“They would keep driving you into your box. I’d find myself getting deeper, narrower and under pressure. It just felt like the goal was coming. It was just wave after wave of attack, and it felt like that 20 years ago when you were playing against such a good Arsenal team.”
Arsenal now have 50 points from their opening 19 games and, with five of the last six champions exceeding 90 points, Arteta knows they have to keep up their electric pace.
It is now a time for cool heads.
Earlier in January, Arteta would not be drawn on an unsavoury incident at full-time against Tottenham when a spat between Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and Spurs forward Richarlison ended with a fan kicking Ramsdale before running back into the crowd.
Then, he instead stressed the importance of his players keeping their heads during a fiery contest, having seen defender Rob Holding sent off less than half an hour into their defeat at Spurs in May.
Arsenal’s temperament will be tested during the second half of the campaign, but Neville believes the additions of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko – ironically from Man City – will give Arteta’s side the necessary experience to handle the scrutiny. (Sky)