Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn admits the Gunners are not showing title form ahead of an important Premier League trip to Chelsea.
Arsenal are currently sixth in the Premier League table and already 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool. Mikel Arteta’s side have suffered defeats in two of their last three Premier League games and twice lost a lead against Liverpool in October’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium…CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
Martin Ødegaard’s absence with an ankle injury has proven a significant blow, but the Norwegian is now back in full training and will no doubt prove important in helping Arsenal make up lost ground.
“It’s not too early to worry, although you can’t yet rule out Arsenal either,” Winterburn told GIVEMESPORT. “It’s been a weird season so far, and not just for Arsenal. I think Liverpool have done great by taking advantage of their rivals dropping points.
“We should be challenging for the title this season, but it’s results and performances that give you the belief to do so. I think we would have beaten Liverpool had Gabriel and Jurrien Timber not gone off injured. But the Bournemouth loss was frustrating, with William Saliba sent off, and the Newcastle defeat was flat. You are not going to win the title with those kinds of performances. Arsenal need to rectify that very, very quickly because they won’t want to fall much further behind.”
Arsenal’s trip to Stamford Bridge brings back fond memories for Winterburn, who made 556 appearances for Arsenal between 1987 and 2000 and won three league titles, including the 1997/98 Premier League.
That season, Arsenal finished just one point ahead of Manchester United, making Winterburn’s spectacular late winner in a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge all the more crucial and memorable.
“I don’t think it was ever in doubt, was it?!” laughed Winterburn, who only ever scored five Premier League goals. “To be honest, I didn’t know it was so late in the game. The ball just broke to me, and initially I was going to make the pass, but the space just kept opening up so I took the ball forwards two or three yards and then it just sat up so nicely. Then I just thought, ‘Oh, why not hit it?’. I stuck it beautifully through the laces and instantly knew it was going in.
“You can probably tell by my reaction that I didn’t get too many goals. There was no pre-prepared celebration. I was more like a headless chicken! It was a pretty nice and pure strike. And I still get a lot of Chelsea fans telling me they remember that goal and how I spoiled their afternoon. With a smile on my face I always reply, ‘I’m so, so sorry!’”.
As a left-back, Winterburn has had a particularly keen eye on Arsenal’s full-backs all season and is still undecided on their best pairing. Although Mikel Arteta doesn’t like to over-tinker, Winterburn thinks a little rotation could benefit Arsenal, including utilising Jurrien Timber on both sides. Timber is blessed with versatility and can actually play anywhere across the back four.
“The full-back position has changed dramatically since my day,” said 60-year-old Winterburn. “The main task for me was to be a strong defender in one-on-one situations. Now, there is far more playing out from the back. You also have to take touches in and around your own box and create space to get into midfield.
Stats according to Transfermarkt
“Ben White does this well and his link-up play with Bukayo Saka has been very good for Arsenal. He is strong defensively. Personally, I’d like to see him be a bit more aggressive out wide in one-on-ones. I think he’ll come back into the Arsenal side very quickly, meaning Jurrien Timber would move to the left, which is important with Riccardo Calafiori out.
“It’s hard to decide on Arsenal’s best two full-backs, but Timber is certainly a fantastic and key player. For me, a fully fit Timber is going to push on the right or the left. He is super aggressive and quick. You saw him the other day against Mo Salah. He didn’t even give him half a sniff at goal.
“White at right-back, Timber at left-back was how I thought Arsenal would line up at the beginning of the season, but that was before Calafiori joined, and he’s slotted in really well. My only concern is that against a really quick wide player, he might just lack half a yard of pace. I know Mikel Arteta doesn’t usually like to chop and change, but with the full-backs he might be more inclined to switch players around a bit more often depending on the opponent.”
Winterburn is also waiting to see how new England head coach Thomas Tuchel handles the Ben White situation. The Arsenal full-back has made himself unavailable for England selection after conversations with both Gareth Southgate and now interim-boss Lee Carsley. Tuchel starts on January 1 and is expected to speak with White to understand his reasoning and whether a solution can be found.
Winterburn – who won two caps for England, and would have surely got more had he not been competing with Stuart Pearce during his career – is not expecting White to return to the international fold.
“I have no idea what went on with England and Ben,” he said. “He’s apparently made himself unavailable. I can only assume something has happened we don’t know about. I only played twice for England and it was an incredible experience, but sometimes it’s also a lonely place. You have to be comfortable with those surroundings and maybe Ben feels he’s better served not being part of the England squad.
“For a lot of us, that news comes as a shock, but maybe it’s just something Ben just needed to do. We are all still guessing as to why he initially left and has since made himself unavailable. We have to respect what the player wants. I personally don’t think he’s going to come back into the England squad. I could be completely wrong, but that’s my feeling.”...CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
