Liverpool sent warning that Arsenal will not ‘collapse’ – ‘They are the best defensive team’

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino insists that Arsenal won’t collapse and hand Liverpool the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners jumped above the Reds on Saturday by beating West Ham 2-0 in the Premier League as Arne Slot’s side couldn’t regain top spot as they lost 2-1 to Chelsea later in the day.

Arsenal are now one point clear at the top of the Premier League with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka on the scoresheet in a comfy win over the Hammers.

However, not everything went to plan for Arsenal with Odegaard going off injured with Mikel Arteta admitting after the match that it “doesn’t look positive”.

Arteta said: “He’s not feeling great right now, and we’ll need to assess it properly before making any decisions.”

On that blow, Cascarino told talkSPORT: “Yeah, I mean, Odegaard, I was at the game against Olympiacos and thought that Odegaard just pulls all the strings, and he’s a talented footballer, and yet there’s some frustration with Arsenal fans that at times they felt he should have been left out.

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“I think Arsenal [are a] much better team with him in it when he’s up to speed. But look, it was so comfortable for Arsenal yesterday.

“I watched a lot the game when I got back home last night, and I was, you know, if you look at the numbers, I mean, we shouldn’t go on dates all the time, but it was literally 22 shots arsenal and zero on target for West Ham, and hardly caused a problem for Arsenal. It was the most comfortable two nil you’ve seen.”

On how crucial Saka is to Arsenal, Cascarino added: “Yeah, again, vital player, pivotal player, to the team and how they function. Arsenal have got absolutely the best chance that they’ve had since Arteta got the job of winning the league. This year is the year that they can win it.

“And I’ve said from the very start, they are the team to beat. It wasn’t Liverpool, it wasn’t Man City, for me, it was Arsenal, because of the recruitment, the size of their squad, the players in every position, they can suffer injuries. They are not the biggest entertainers, but they’re a side that function really well.”

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When asked if he wants to see Arsenal get more goals and kill games off earlier, Cascarino continued: “Well, I think for us, just want to get the three points, and they are a team that can do that with a lot more maturity.

“I think the reason why they come second is obviously everyone will look at the fall away at the end of every season, as long as they’ve got enough players fit, I don’t think that will be the case this year.

“Having them the best defensive side, they are the best defensive team. They’re going to keep the most clean [sheets]. That is going to enable them to have a chance to win it. I don’t see a collapse.”

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