Former Chelsea F.C. midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised Arsenal F.C., saying the club appears to have run out of ideas in the race for the Premier League title as rivals Manchester City F.C. continue to close the gap.
Arsenal’s title hopes suffered a setback after a 2–1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, leaving the Gunners with a six-point lead after 32 matches. However, Manchester City remain firmly in contention with two games in hand.
City boosted their chances with a convincing 3–0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday, a result that has intensified the title race. If Pep Guardiola’s side defeat Arsenal in their upcoming league meeting and win their outstanding fixture, they will draw level on points with the North London club.
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, and after falling short in the past three seasons, Mikel believes manager Mikel Arteta must find ways to motivate his players and ease his tactical control if the team is to finally secure the title.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Mikel said the current Arsenal side appears to lack creativity and leadership on the pitch.
“For me, they look like a team that has run out of ideas. They have no clue,” he said. “When you watch this Arsenal side, nobody is willing to take responsibility on the pitch. Nobody is willing to be ‘that guy’ who says, ‘I’m going to create the chances; I’m going to make us play well.’”
The former midfielder compared Arsenal’s approach to the more dynamic style displayed by Manchester City.
“It’s different when you watch City. They have so many players who get you off your seat—players you’d pay your hard-earned money to watch: Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva,” he said.
“But when I watch this Arsenal side, name me one player right now who truly excites you. Nobody. Absolutely zero.”
Mikel also suggested that Arteta’s tactical structure may be restricting the influence of key attacking players such as Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.
“Bukayo is that guy, but the way Mikel has structured this team has taken so much away from the creative players,” he said. “We know what Ødegaard and Saka can do, but none of them are doing it right now.
“I think Arteta has coached the flair out of them. When they go on the pitch now, they don’t know how to express their quality because they feel the manager isn’t letting them.”
Despite the criticism, Mikel believes Arsenal still have a chance to win the title if they rediscover their form in the closing weeks of the campaign.
With six games remaining, the race for the Premier League trophy remains wide open, and the upcoming clash between Arsenal and Manchester City could prove decisive in determining the eventual champions.
