Gary Lineker has identified West Ham as a potential stumbling block for Arsenal in the Premier League title race, with Mikel Arteta's side aiming to fend off Manchester City. The Gunners, chasing their first league title since 2004, returned to the top of the table after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday. Despite losing their previous two league matches and struggling for fluency against Newcastle, Arsenal secured a crucial win thanks to an early goal from Eberechi Eze.
Man City's FA Cup Focus
Manchester City were unable to respond immediately to Arsenal's win as they shifted their attention to the FA Cup, mounting an impressive comeback to beat Southampton 2-1 and reach the final. There, they will face Chelsea, who overcame Leeds United despite being managerless. Arsenal play before City this weekend, meaning they could move six points clear at the top if they beat London rivals Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
Lineker's Warning
Mikel Arteta's final three games are against West Ham, Burnley, and Crystal Palace. Lineker believes the away match at West Ham could be a banana skin for Arsenal. The Hammers, who looked destined for relegation earlier in the season, have improved in recent weeks to climb out of the drop zone, now two points above struggling Tottenham.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: 'Arsenal are just not really creating at the moment, and they weren't like this in the first half of the season. They were so impressive, so I don't know if it's nerves or a confidence thing, but they look so edgy. Of course, the result is the most important thing, and they managed to get the three points.'
'They might go six points ahead of Man City before they play again, and Arsenal's last four games are very winnable. They have Fulham at home and then West Ham away — now that will be tricky. West Ham are fighting for their lives and playing well at the moment. They've got pretty much as good a record as almost anyone since the turn of the year, so that will be a tough one for Arsenal.'
'Burnley at home, you'd strongly fancy Arsenal to win that one, and then obviously Crystal Palace away on the final day of the season. So overall, I would say Arsenal have got slightly easier fixtures than Man City, but we know that City down the stretch are usually pretty good. I think it's pretty much 50-50, isn't it? I would say it's pretty much 50-50 between Arsenal and Manchester City.'
Champions League Distraction
Before resuming their Premier League title charge against Fulham, Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Diego Simeone's Atletico are only fourth in La Liga but beat leaders Barcelona in the last round of the competition. This could be a significant distraction for Arteta's side as they juggle domestic and European ambitions.
