Arsenal are top of the Premier League but risk Manchester City and Aston Villa catching up if they continue to fail in one area according to club legend Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Wright has Arsenal concerns(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Ian Wright says Arsenal must start taking their chances or risk dropping points in the Premier League title race after lauding David Raya for saving his old side in the 2-1 win over Brighton.
The Spanish goalkeeper pulled off an excellent save from Yankuba Minteh's curling effort that looked destined to level the scores late on as the Seagulls pushed for an equaliser. Instead, Arsenal claimed three points and will have the opportunity to end 2025 top of the table with success against Aston Villa next time out.
With Manchester City just two points behind Arsenal, and Unai Emery's Villa able to pull level with a win over the north London side, their position is far from secure. The margins are tight at the top of the table.
And Wright has major concerns over Arsenal's lack of a cutting edge with Manchester City and Aston Villa now breathing down their necks. "I think David Raya has probably saved our blushes with that amazing save," the Gunners legend told Premier League Productions.
"But it’s a problem we’ve got at the moment, for some reason, with the chances we’re making, we don’t seem to be able to take the chances to be comfortable in the game, then the anxiety kicks in and then it feels like a basketball match kind of energy.
"Gabriel Magalhaes coming back, hopefully that will settle us down with the familiarity with him and [William] Saliba.
"But in the main, we’ve won the game and hopefully we can settle down and start taking these chances because I don’t think we will be able to get away with that too often."
David Raya of Arsenal looks on after making a save from Yankuba Minteh
David Raya produced a stunning save to deny Yankuba Minteh
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Mikel Arteta aired a similar complaint following Arsenal's win over Brighton. He wants to see his team become more clinical. "Very happy with the performance, individually and collectively, so dominant," he said.
"We were a big threat, so very pleased with all of that. But the margins should have been much bigger. I mean, with the amount of situations, chances, open chances that we generated through the game, it should never be 2-1.
"But that’s the Premier League, that’s the step that we have to make. I think the first shot that they had, they scored the goal and then David has to make another save to maintain the result."
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