Gary Lineker believes Mikel Arteta has shown signs of ‘panicking’ in recent weeks but still expects Arsenal to win the Premier League.
Arsenal lost the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City before the international break and suffered a shock FA Cup defeat to Championship side Southampton on Saturday.
Those back-to-back defeats mean an Arsenal team who were chasing a historic quadruple just two weeks ago have fallen short in two competitions.
Arsenal are still on the verge of a memorable season, however, as they attempt to win their first league title in 22 years and lift the Champions League for the first time ever.
Their nine-point lead over second-placed Man City is ‘huge’, according to Lineker, who remains confident Arsenal will clinch a long-awaited Premier League title.
But the England legend admits Arsenal are going through a ‘little wobble’ and has also accused Arteta of ‘panicking’ since the Carabao Cup final defeat.
‘It’s been a tough two weeks for Arsenal,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘People are asking if they’re panicking or if it’s a crisis, it’s definitely a little wobble.
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‘Obviously Gabriel went off with ice on his knee so that’s a concern because he will be a big miss if he’s out. The next game or two are hugely important for Arsenal, they need to steady the ship, there’s no doubt about it.
‘They’ve got a huge lead in the title race but it’s squeaky bum time. I think they will be fine, I think they will win the league, which will still be the main thing for them.
‘The Champions League would obviously be an enormous bonus because it’s a competition they’ve never won.
‘I’m pretty confident they will win the league. It’s not a bad situation to be in, nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.’
Lineker added: ‘Southampton played exceptionally well and Arsenal were off it.
‘I do want to throw something out there and it’s easy in hindsight but I thought there was a slight signal of panic when they withdrew so many players or the players themselves withdrew from international duty.
‘I just wonder if it showed a bit of panic when you need a bit of calm and confidence.
‘It’s easier to say that now but I just wonder if it showed us something because you wouldn’t ordinarily do that.’
Fellow ex-England striker Alan Shearer is less optimistic about Arsenal’s title aspirations following their FA Cup defeat to Southampton.
‘This is not a fluke,’ Alan Shearer on BBC One as Southampton celebrated a brilliant victory in the FA Cup. ‘Victory went to the better side on the night.’
Speaking to BetfairShearer added: ‘After Arsenal got knocked out of the FA Cup, it will be incredibly tough for them, mentally, to go on and achieve what they want to achieve.’
Arsenal face Sporting in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday night before returning to Premier League action at the weekend against Bournemouth.
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