Rio Ferdinand has cast doubt on the sincerity of Bukayo Saka's recent comments, in which the Arsenal forward claimed his side feel 'in control' of the Premier League title race despite the looming threat of a resurgent Manchester City.
Ferdinand's scepticism over Arsenal's 'control'
The former Manchester United and England defender questioned whether Saka truly believed his own words, given Arsenal's history of faltering under pressure and the formidable presence of Pep Guardiola's champions. Ferdinand made the remarks on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, dissecting the psychological battle at the top of the table.
Arsenal currently lead the Premier League by two points after consecutive victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. However, their advantage has been cut from seven points just last month, with both Manchester City and Aston Villa putting together impressive winning streaks.
Following a 1-0 win at Everton, Saka told Sky Sports: 'We are back on top of the table but we aren’t watching City too hard. We know if we win every week we will stay there. We are in control.' It is this specific choice of language that Ferdinand has taken issue with.
The 'beast' that is Manchester City
Ferdinand pointed directly to Arsenal's past collapses and the relentless quality of City as reasons for his scepticism. 'You have been here before and ample crumbled!' he stated, addressing the Gunners' recent history. 'That’s why I feel that Saka can’t really, genuinely be standing there and going, "We’re in control"… not when you’ve got that beast City hanging about.'
He elaborated on the psychological impact of City's form, noting: 'Only minutes before, they were top of the league, above you. This team have won four on the bounce... You’ve led the league for many months and you’ve seen this team come out of nowhere and blitz you.' Ferdinand concluded that, given the 'heartache' City have inflicted on Arsenal, claiming control was 'probably the wrong words.'
Guardiola's mind games and the run-in
Ferdinand also highlighted the intimidating effect of Pep Guardiola's demanding standards, even in victory. He referenced Guardiola branding Phil Foden 'not good' after the midfielder scored his sixth goal in four games. 'Pep’s coming out and saying he’s dissatisfied and still not happy... that’s scary for Arsenal and other teams,' Ferdinand analysed.
While acknowledging Arsenal are playing well and can control individual matches, Ferdinand disputed the applicability of 'control' to the title race itself. 'The momentum shifting is going to be happening all the way through to the end of the season now,' he said, pointing to Erling Haaland's record-chasing form and City's high scoring rate.
Despite his doubts, the six-time Premier League winner expressed a personal desire to see Arsenal prevail. 'Seeing City win, I hate it. Seeing Liverpool win, I detest it,' he admitted. 'If Arsenal won it I wouldn’t like it, just because of some of the fans, but I’d be much more satisfied with that.'
The stage is set for a tense Premier League finale, with Ferdinand's comments underscoring the immense mental challenge facing Mikel Arteta's young Arsenal side as they aim to dethrone the champions.
