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The title race this season has had tons of ebbs and flows, and after the game against Newcastle on Saturday, Alan Shearer has changed his mind about Arsenal’s hopes of becoming champions.
Arsenal lost to Manchester City last week, but the performance gave fans something to hold onto. They played with intent, created chances, and looked capable of competing with the best team in the league. Despite the defeat, there was a sense that they could still go on and win the title.
In Shearer’s mind, that feeling has shifted after the weekend.
Arsenal beat Newcastle 1-0 thanks to a stunning goal from Eberechi Eze, but the performance told a different story. It was tense, cautious, and lacked the attacking flow seen at the Etihad. Instead of building momentum, it raised new questions.
🏆👀 I am feeling __% confident that Arsenal will win the Premier League title this season…
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images Alan Shearer changes his mind on Arsenal’s title hopes
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Shearer gave his verdict on Arsenal’s chances of winning the league.
The pundit says that, strangely, he is now less confident about Arsenal winning the title despite watching them beat Newcastle.
“You know, strangely, I watched the Arsenal game last week against City and I watched the Arsenal game yesterday, and I was more hopeful of them winning the league after being defeated last weekend than I was after them winning yesterday, just because of how nervy and edgy they were yesterday against a team that were in rotten form,” Shearer said.
Against City, Arsenal looked brave. Against Newcastle, they looked unsure. The result was positive, but the performance suggested a team feeling the pressure rather than embracing the moment.
“But they’ve won the game and that’s the most important thing. That’s what they have to do somehow from now till the end of the season. But they’ve got obviously Champions League Wednesday and then they’ve got to go and win again next week.”
At this stage of the season, results matter more than performances, we’re down to the final four games – four terrible performances that lead to wins could ultimately win you the title.
Arsenal showed against City that they can compete without hesitation. The challenge now is to bring that same approach into games they are expected to win, rather than allowing nerves to take over.
Arsenal have four more hurdles to clear this season, but, at the moment, it’s hard to truly fancy Mikel Arteta’s side to get over the line.
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