Arsenal will collapse in 2026 and throw away the Premier League title.
That’s just one of the controversial opinions on our latest talkSPORT Daily podcast: the 12 Hot Takes of Christmas.
Arsenal currently top the Premier League table, but by only two points
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Arsenal currently top the Premier League table, but by only two pointsCredit: Getty
Mikel Arteta’s side are favourites to claim their first Premier League trophy for the first time since 2003.
There is a huge amount of pressure to finally get over the line after coming second for three seasons in a row.
The unbiased view would be that Arsenal perhaps deserve to win a title, but these things have to be earned on the pitch.
Their lead at the top has already been cut to just two points after a draw against 10-man Chelsea and a last minute defeat to Aston Villa.
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Arsenal were also lucky to escape with all three points against Wolves, needing two own goals to see off the Premier League’s rock bottom side.
History is threatening to repeat itself as the Gunners have been their own worst enemies at times, not winning against teams they should put away.
talkSPORT pundit, and Chelsea fan, Rory Jennings told the Daily Podcast: “People have been anointing them as champions already. People have been telling me that they are the best team in the country. They're going to win the league at a canter.
“It's fair to say now that they are already champions. Lots of people see it that way. They were favourites.
“I couldn't believe they were favourites for both the Premier League and the European Cup. I just feel like everyone has gone mad.
“It's Arsenal, both in the Premier League and in Europe. If any club has a propensity and a proven track record of pressing the self-destruct button, it's them.”
Premier League table
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Arsenal are currently top, but have rivals breathing down their neck
Jennings pointed to the 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on November 8 and that failed to beat his own team Chelsea.
He continued: “We saw a chink in the armour when they were away at the Stadium of Light. They had a very tough game at Sunderland under the lights, 5.30pm kick-off, and ultimately they capitulated.
“They then faced Chelsea very recently. They faced a Chelsea team that lost at home to Brighton and to Sunderland. They have proved to be fallible already this season.
“Chelsea then went down to 10 men. It's not like Malo Gusto was sent off or Liam Delap was sent off. The jewel in the crown...it was the worst one that could go [in Moises Caicedo]. In a game that was ultimately going to be dictated to by the midfield, we lost our best player for an hour. We could have easily still won the game.”
Man City have been a team who have beaten Arsenal to the title twice over the last three seasons.
With City winning their last four games they are already ramping up the pressure on the Gunners.
Man City's Phil Foden
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City have won their last four Premier League gamesCredit: Getty
Jennings said: “I just feel like there's a vulnerability to this Arsenal team that people aren't necessarily talking about.
“How are they going to be when Manchester City find form... If Manchester City are breathing down their neck, if Arsenal can hear the hooves of Pep Guardiola galloping behind him.
“I dream, they can hear the hooves of Enzo Maresco's Chelsea galloping behind them.
“I feel like this Arsenal team are so capable of not winning a league this year. It's unreal. I don't know why I'm in such a small minority to say that Arsenal still have it all to prove.
“I'd still be fairly surprised if they end up as Premier League champions.”
Liverpool miss Jordan Henderson?
The struggling Liverpool side were next in the firing line for talkSPORT’s hot takes and their captain Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk captained Liverpool to the Premier League title last season - his second as a Reds player.
The 34-year-old penned a two-year contract extension, but has not played up to his usual lofty standards this campaign.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
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Van Dijk has been Liverpool captain since July 2023Credit: Getty
And talkSPORT’s Angelina Kelly claims Van Dijk may not be the exceptional leader that many people think he is.
She said: “I'm not sure that I'm having him as a captain.
“Do I think that he is the best man for the job? I'm not too sure. I mean we've had Graeme Souness on talkSPORT not that long ago questioning if Liverpool even have a leader. I just feel like he gets away with a lot.
“He got given the captain's armband after Jordan Henderson departed. I think it was a few weeks after that he actually got given a red card. He got fined for swearing.
“I guess it depends what people class as a good captain or the right captain.
“But with Liverpool's dip in form I just don't know if his response has been that good. We've seen him losing his head. We've seen him be very frustrated.
Brentford's Jordan Henderson
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Henderson rejoined the Premier League with Brentford this summerCredit: Getty
“One comparison I will make is someone like Bruno Fernandes who gets absolutely hammered for throwing his arms up in the air, for rolling his eyes, for huffing and puffing and not being happy.
“The more I watch Virgil van Dijk the more that I see him do it and he's able to walk away.
“You look at some of the best Premier League captains. Roy Keane, John Terry, Tony Adams, Vincent Kompany. I just don't see him in that bracket.”
talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook pointed to the key role that Henderson played and the influence he had in the dressing room that is a key difference.
He said: “I don't entirely disagree. I think Virgil van Dijk strikes me as one of those characters who can be a brilliant skipper when things are going well. But I do wonder about him when things are not going so well.
“This is probably the nearest that Liverpool have been to a crisis since he got the captain's armband. You mentioned Jordan Henderson there. I think they miss him in the dressing room.
“Thomas Tuchel has got a lot of stick for putting him back in the England squad, but actually I think his performances at Brentford probably warrant that now.
“The main reason that Keith Andrews was attracted to Jordan Henderson, the main reason that Tuchel wants him in the travelling party in North America, is because of those leadership skills.
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“There were problems in the England dressing room. The Euros wasn't a surprise. The first thing that Tuchel did was reinstate Henderson. I do wonder if things might have gone differently even for Liverpool this season with Henderson there.”
For more 2026 hot takes, listen to the latest episode of talkSPORT Daily and subscribe for more.