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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have made a U-turn on their Arsenal title prediction from the start of the Premier League season, but believe there is still one big problem for Mikel Arteta to fix.
Both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have U-turned on their prediction from before the season that Arsenal would finish as runners-up once again in the Premier League. It comes as the Gunners sit top of the table just beyond the halfway stage of the campaign, with a six-point lead on closest challengers Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta has battled against injuries to help get his side back to the summit, but there is a sense of caution surrounding the fanbase at the Emirates Stadium. The team have been here before with Pep Guardiola breathing down their neck, and there is a keen sense that complacency cannot sink in.
However, there is still a sense from many pundits that Arsenal will go on to win the league anyway. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast about the predictions made at the start of the season, Lineker said: "I said challenging but not champions [at the start of the season]. A lot would depend on how Gyokeres does. Alan [Shearer] you said challenging for the title but just fall short of winning the league.
"Micah [Richards] the same, challenging but not champions, one or two injuries and they will struggle like last season. They’ve had one or two injuries but they haven’t struggled like last season.”
Going on to discuss their new thoughts on the title, Lineker started off by saying: "I actually think Arsenal win the title. I think I can’t see them slipping up too frequently, I think they’re a very, very strong team."
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However, he pointed out a potential issue that is still there for Arteta to solve, as he said: "Exceptional defensively as well and they’ll always find a goal, even though I don’t think necessarily they’ve solved yet their number nine issue. But they are getting goals from elsewhere, so I think they’ll still be ok for the title.”
Shearer agreed with the U-turn, but also raised concerns over Viktor Gyokeres and his lack of output so far, as he said: "Yeah he [Gyokeres] hasn’t scored the goals that they sort of signed him for, but he has brought something different to the team that has maybe freed others up and others are doing better. But I guess he will wanna, I know he got his goal against Chelsea in the Carabao [Cup] semi-final, but he will want his numbers to improve in the second half of the season.”
The striker position has been an area of concern for Arsenal, with many believing that a consistent scorer has been the difference between them and Man City. The arrival of Gyokeres, who scored plenty of Portugal, was viewed as the Gunners' answer to Erling Haaland.
That adjustment hasn't quite come for the 27-year-old, though, who has scored just eight times so far this season across all competitions. Two of those eight have come from the penalty spot, with questions arising over the natural box presence of the Swedish international.
While an injury for Gyokeres hasn't helped him build up momentum, there is a sense that more is needed when it comes to his output in front of goal. A close-range finish against Chelsea showed some of that poachers instinct that he needs, and there will be hope that he can use it as a launchpad to score even more.
"Yes, for a lot of the things that he's done, it's exactly the same," Arteta said when asked if Gyokeres is contributing more than goals to the team. "I think he had a really good performance [against Chelsea]. Overall, I think what he brings to the team.
"It's a lot, sometimes I understand that people cannot appreciate it, we certainly do that and on top of that he got rewarded with a goal."
There has been a boost in the forward ranks as of late, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus both making their return to action after long-term injury layoffs. The pair offer something slightly different to Gyokeres, who is more likely to pin centre-backs and offer something in behind.
Jesus wants the ball to feet as a creative presence, while Havertz is similar in wanting plenty of touches, but more to link up with his fellow teammates. While they may not produce much in terms of output either, they add another dimension to get plenty of goals out of others in the team and that could be the key to landing the title.
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