John Obi Mikel has named Arsenal as the Premier League's 'team to beat' for the upcoming season, asserting that Mikel Arteta possesses a 'better' and 'more settled' squad than any of his rivals. The former Chelsea midfielder's comments come after Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title, finishing seven points clear of Manchester City.
Arsenal's Title Triumph and European Heartbreak
Arteta's side finally clinched the Premier League trophy last term after three consecutive runners-up finishes, sparking celebrations across north London. However, their joy was tempered just days later when Paris Saint-Germain defeated them in the Champions League final in Budapest, drawing criticism from fans and pundits over their approach.
The Gunners now face a new season, beginning at home to newly promoted Coventry City on August 21. Before that, they have friendlies against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund, and Como, plus a Community Shield clash with City in a week and a half.
Obi Mikel's Verdict: Arsenal Stand Above the Rest
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Obi Mikel said: 'Wow, the team to beat? There are so many teams... The good thing that you can say about this season is it is absolutely wide open, absolutely f***ing wide open, apart from Arsenal. Apart from Arsenal… you can say [with Arsenal] that this is the team right now. They're settled, they have a manager who has been there for so many years, he's built a team and a squad that has gone on to win the Premier League. It doesn't matter how they won it, they finally crossed the line. That's what a lot of the Arsenal fans were saying: it doesn't matter how we win it, let's just cross the line and then we can talk about next season and how we want to play.'
He added: 'If you look at all the top five, top six teams, they [Arsenal] are the most settled squad. They still have the best squad in the Premier League and he's still strengthening the squad. He's still bringing in players, players that he wants, so they are the ones, if you have to say the ones to beat, but again, it comes down to how this Arsenal team plays this season. Are they going to play pretty football? Are we going to see the same shenanigans that we saw last season? Set-pieces, corner kicks, throw-ins and all of that.'
Vinicius Junior: A Transfer Saga Dismissed
Obi Mikel also weighed in on Arsenal's rumoured interest in Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract. Despite reports that Arteta is 'absolutely smitten' with the Brazilian, Obi Mikel insists the forward is using the Gunners to secure a better deal at the Bernabeu.
'He's not coming! Forget about that,' said the two-time Premier League winner. 'He's just using Arsenal to get a better deal at Real Madrid. He's not leaving Real Madrid. I'm sure about that, 100 per cent. He's not leaving! He just wants to use Arsenal to get a better deal. He's not leaving Real Madrid. Why would he? Listen, Arsenal is a big team. If I sit here and say Arsenal is not a big team then I'm lying. Arsenal is a big team but Real Madrid is a different ballgame.'
He elaborated on the contract standoff: 'I think this conversation about contracts has been going on for a long time. He wants a better deal, he wants a new contract with a better deal and Real Madrid, Florentino Perez, is not willing to budge. He [Vinicius] is not willing to budge either so it's coming down to when he is going to have one year left. You don't want a player like him having one year left because then he's going to walk away next summer for free. You don't want that! He's trying to get a better deal, Real Madrid are trying to get a better deal, so I think he's going to end up staying at Real Madrid.'
A More Realistic Target: Bruno Guimaraes
Instead, Obi Mikel believes Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes is a far more feasible signing for Arsenal and could help Arteta's side adopt a more attractive style of play. 'He's going to be a good signing for Arsenal,' he said. 'I think him and Declan Rice in that midfield and Martin Odegaard is going to be good. Mikel Arteta knows he has to play some attractive football this season. You can't play the same way you played last season. He knows he has to entertain the Arsenal fans because last season, what the fans were watching, it's not what they wanted to watch, it's not what they paid for.'
As the new season approaches, all eyes will be on Arsenal to see if they can defend their crown and potentially silence critics who questioned their pragmatic approach.
