Mikel Obi Explains Costly Mistake Arteta Is Making in Premier League Title Race

Mikel Obi Explains Costly Mistake Arteta Is Making in Premier League Title Race

  • Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has opened up on the mistake Arteta is making in the Premier League title race
  • Mikel Arteta’s supposed display of toughness before Arsenal’s loss to Manchester City didn't go well with Obi
  • Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have overtaken the Gunners as the Premier League season enters its final five matches

Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has opened up on the costly mistake Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is making as the Premier League title intensifies.

Manchester City overtook Arsenal on the Premier League table after beating Burnley 1-0 to set up an interesting final five games to end the season.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, Premier League, England, AFC Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal has dropped to second on the Premier League table. Photo by Catherine Ivill.
Source: Getty Images

The Gunners, who threw away a nine-point lead, will have a chance to return to the summit of the table this weekend when they host Newcastle United.

Mikel highlights Arteta’s mistake

Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has pointed out a mistake by Mikel Arteta, which could eventually cost the Gunners the Premier League title.

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Arteta, during his pre-match ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg tie against Sporting CP, claimed he is on fire at the moment.

Mikel described this supposed tough stance as a show of panic rather than what he thinks he is, and claimed it could be a sign of pressure within the team.

“‘I’m on fire. Bring it on.’ That's the quote, isn’t it? Every week he’s coming out with a quote,” he said on the Obi One Podcast.

“One week, they're playing with a pen in the training ground, they have TikTok music playing. It's all going off with ‘bring the lunch, bring the dinner.’

“Just calm down, mate, enjoy it, relax. You've worked so hard to be in this position, don't be rattled; he is rattled.”

The Chelsea legend added that the difference in how Pep Guardiola handles his press conferences and Mikel Arteta does could be the difference in the title race.

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“Both managers are dealing with it very, very differently. On one hand, you have a manager who's absolutely rattled... He looks tense. He looks, even when he tries to be calm, he's faking it, it's not natural,” he concluded.
Mikel Obi, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, Premier League, England.
Mikel Obi highlights Arteta's mistake in the Premier League title race. Photo by Eamonn M McCormack.
Source: Getty Images

Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Bournemouth was a major turning point in the capitulation, and midfielder Tyler Adams explained what he saw at the Emirates Stadium.

The American midfielder claimed that the atmosphere at the stadium is not that of a team chasing the title.

“As an opposition, it’s the best thing to hear. When you’re playing an away game and all of a sudden it feels like the momentum is swinging and it feels like a home game,” he told Men in Blazers.
“At certain moments in the game, I heard our fans celebrating or cheering, and it was like: ‘why’s it so quiet here?’
“They’re trying to chase a title, we’re trying to chase potentially finishing in a European position, but it feels like we’re playing for a little bit more in the circumstances.

Supercomputer predicts Premier League winner

Legit.ng previously reported that Opta's supercomputer predicted the Premier League winner after Manchester City overtook Arsenal on the table.

The Gunners still have more than 60% chance of winning the title, down from 97% in the past three weeks, but this could plunge further if results go badly.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Elijah Odetokun avatar

Elijah Odetokun (Sports Editor) Elijah Odetokun is a Nigerian sports editor at Legit.ng. He has six years of working experience and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and a Diploma in Freelance and Sports Writing from the London School of Journalism. He has covered major Super Eagles games, including FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Email: elijah.odetokun@sportsbrief.com