Arsenal will be preparing for a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday for a showdown against out-of-sorts Manchester United.
On paper, given how both teams have performed, this should be a cake-walk for the London club, especially given that Erik ten Hag’s side lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Tim Sherwood expects Arsenal to win this game and, at the very least, ensure that they take the Premier League title race to the final day.
Even then, if the Gunners also beat Everton, it still won’t guarantee them title glory because destiny is in the hands of Manchester City.
Last season, Arteta and his players were getting pelters for ‘bottling’ the title and handing the trophy to those at the Etihad.
You can’t make such an argument this time around, according to Tim Sherwood, as he told Premier League Productions (06/05/24 at 2:15 pm).
The reason for that is there have been very few slip-ups from Arsenal. Plus, certain players, such as club-record signing Declan Rice, have taken them to ‘another level’.
There were suggestions back in the summer that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City wanted to sign the England star from West Ham United.
You feel the title race would have been done and dusted by now if that transfer had happened.
But Sherwood still feels that it would be ‘really damning’ if Rice can’t guide his team to English football’s main crown given the difference he has made.
Declan Rice and the Premier League title
“I don’t think anyone is pointing the finger at Arsenal this season, they can’t do any more than they have done,” said Sherwood.
“I think they go on and win their next two games. But I think Man City will win their next three. You just never know. Last year, you could listen to all the noise ‘oh, they have bottled it’. They haven’t done that. They have pushed one of the best teams we have seen in the history of the Premier League all the way.
“Arsenal have done that this year with Declan Rice, they have brought in a player that has taken them to another level. They still can’t get over the line. It would be really damning if they don’t.”
Arsenal’s best player
What’s impressive about what Rice has done is how quickly he has settled in and become a key figure.
Yes, many were expecting him to come in and showcase his worth, especially for the money that they spent.
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But in next to no time, Rice is already Arsenal’s best player. He will probably walk away with that individual trophy when the final ball is kicked.
And it could also be debated that he is now the first name on the team sheet. Not Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard or William Saliba. But the man once released from Chelsea!
Arsenal have the best defence in the Premier League – only 28 goals conceded after 36 matches – the next best is Manchester City with 33.
Rice’s presence in the middle of the park has played a huge part in that!