Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta slammed as new Premier League title prediction made

Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League table with a gutsy comeback win at Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Gunners came from behind to seal a dramatic victory in the West Midlands as a Emiliano Martinez own-goal in the 93rd minute proved decisive to give Mikel Arteta’s side all three points. Bukayo Saka, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli also found the net for the visitors.

Meanwhile, Manchester City dropped points at Nottingham Forest to leave the Gunners two points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand. Here is some of the latest news coming out of the Emirates Stadium.

Aaron Ramsdale has heaped praise on Oleksandr Zinchenko after the Arsenal left-back scored in the Gunners’ comeback 4-2 win over Aston Villa.

The former Manchester City man scored the equaliser as the Gunners came from 2-1 down to beat Villa, with Emiliano Martinez’s late own-goal proving to be decisive. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli also found the net for Arsenal as they moved back to the top of the Premier League table.

Speaking to Viaplay after Saturday’s win at Villa Park, Ramsdale said Arsenal are a completely different side when the Ukrainian star plays. “He brings a completely different dimension to the team, allows us to play the way we want to. Yeah, he’s been there and he’s done it. He’s got four out of five Premier Leagues [titles] so he knows what it takes to win,” the Arsenal shot stopper said.

“He’s been brilliant, you see the passion he’s got. He’s only been here a couple of months but he’s a huge part of our group.”

Arteta slammed by Sawyer

Mikel Arteta has been branded “deluded and disrespectful” by talkSPORT presenter Natalie Sawyer.

The Spaniard hit out at VAR Lee Mason after he failed to spot an offside in the build-up to the Brentford’s equaliser at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday, during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against the Bees. Replays showed that the goal shouldn’t have stood and the decision ended up costing Mason his job with the PGMOL.

Following Arteta’s comments, Sawyer, a lifelong Brentford fan, took umbrage with the Spaniard and admitted on Saturday morning that it has “really riled” her. Brentford had more than just that one chance to score at the Emirates and should’ve scored earlier as Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo missed a couple of clear chances.

“This has been getting on my goat for a while – the fact Mikel Arteta has kept going on about ‘give us our two points back’, that has riled me a lot,”

“I think it’s deluded and very disrespectful from Arteta to assume, with 20 or so minutes to go, that you were going to win that game against Brentford. I know I’m going to say that, it’s my team, but that has really riled me.”

Shearer makes Arsenal title prediction

Alan Shearer believes that Arsenal will win the Premier League title if they can keep Thomas Partey clear of injury.

The Gunners currently sit at the top of the division, two points above second-place Manchester City following Saturday’s results. Mikel Arteta’s side returned to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Aston Villa, while City dropped points as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

Asked for his prediction on the Premier League title race, Shearer said on BBC’s Match of the Day: “I know Thomas Partey is out injured at the moment, but if Arsenal can get him back and then have a little bit of luck between now and the end of the season with keeping their key players fit, I think they will do it, I really do.

“Based on the second-half, Arsenal deserved the three points today. But they didn’t just get the win, they sent a message out to Manchester City too.

“Sometimes you just need to find a way to win and they did that in the second-half. When you look back at the game against Man City [Arsenal lost 3-1], they made two huge errors and got punished for them. They missed some big chances as well and that was the difference between the teams.”