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Mikael Silvestre has backed Arsenal to go all the way in the Premier League, provided the club’s key players can stay injury free.
THE LOWDOWN: CONTENDERS OR NOT?
Depending on perspective, some consider Arsenal genuine title contenders while another section of fans and pundits still believe the jury is out on the Gunners.
However, the reality is that Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the table and their performances against fellow rival sides have shown it is a different side under Arteta this time around.
Several pundits continue to claim Arsenal lack the quality to push for the title, with Graeme Souness recently saying the Gunners are only pushing for second place, despite their current position.
In a more objective assessment, former United and Arsenal man Mikael Silvestre believes Mikel Areta’s men can prove doubters wrong, but there is a catch to it.
THE LATEST: TITLE BACKING
Asked if Arsenal can go all the way in the title race, Silvestre said in an interview with BettingExpert:
“They’ve answered a lot of questions, especially the ones about consistency. I think that was a doubt because it’s almost like a new team with a lot of young players in all the lines of the team.”
“But the formula is working, there is a good balance and players have been responding well when there were injuries and changes of system or just rotation to the team.”
“They’ve been taking points in many, many grounds, on top of the points at the Emirates Stadium. I think they can go all the way as long as they keep everyone fit. Maybe they can bring somebody in the window, but it could be Arsenal’s year.”
Many also believe Arsenal must add more quality to their depth and make January signings if they are to sustain their impressive form. Silvestre also shared his thoughts on that.
He added: “Arsenal, the way they operate now and the way they work with Edu and Mikel at the helm of recruitment and the project, I think they are building for mid to long term. So, if someone is available on the market, it would make sense, not only for this season but for the coming season, I think they would grasp the opportunity and they should.”
“But I don’t think they’ll go into the window thinking, “okay let’s buy the finished article just to win the league this year and see what happens”. I think they have a different vision and they are not there for the short term. It’s not a short-term vision.”
THE VERDICT: FAIR JUDGEMENT
Silvestre was rather objective in his assessment and Arsenal now need to hope for good fortune in terms of player injuries and fitness in general. In any perspective at all, the Gunners are already title contenders and it is now only a question of if they can go all the way.
