Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel had some strong feedback for Arsenal after the shock result on matchday 23.
Arsenal were the firm favourites to beat Man United when the Red Devils headed to the Emirates, but Michael Carrick had other thoughts.
Carrick’s 2021 win over Mikel Arteta was replicated, as Arsenal lost to United at home in the Premier League for the first time in nine years.
There’s never a good time to lose against a rival like Man United, but the defeat on matchday 23 felt a lot worse given that Arsenal hadn’t won the two league fixtures prior.
Fill the blanks, I think Arsenal have a __% chance of winning the Premier League.
Peter Schmeichel thinks Arsenal’s title race pressure is internal
Having finished second in three consecutive races for the Premier League title, pressure is mounting on Arteta to win Arsenal’s first title in 21 years.
Against United, we saw that pressure spill out of Arteta’s players on the pitch and subsequently, anxiety coursed through the stands to implement a nervous atmosphere.
The no-nonsense Arsenal we saw at the start of the season now looks rather anxious, which is something Peter Schmeichel thinks the Gunners need to exterminate promptly.
“I think the inexperience of everyone at Arsenal of not winning the Premier League and having finished second for three years and being close, that is now coming back to them,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The former goalkeeper, who won five Premier League titles at United, then shared his opinion that the pressure on Arsenal isn’t coming from the outside, but from the squad itself.
“That is the pressure. It is not the pressure from the outside, it is more internally and now is the time.
“That is something they have to learn, and they have to learn it quickly.”
Arsenal’s mentality has been questioned this season, and with two points from a possible nine in their previous three, talk is rife.
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Jamie Carragher suspected that Arsenal would get nervous as spring turned to summer, but panic seems to be setting in ahead of schedule.
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Martin Zubimendi’s mistake against Man United represented the second goal-causing error Arsenal have dealt with in two of their previous four Premier League matches.
Concerningly, that’s already more than what was recorded over the opening 19 matches of the season, which is an indication of nervousness.
The usually controlled and composed squad looked timid and passive when the spotlight was on them, triggering fans to ask the question no supporter wants to answer.
Surely, it won’t happen again?
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