Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has named the one player who could stop Arsenal from winning their first Premier League title in 22 years. The Gunners are nine points clear of Manchester City, having played a game more than their adversaries, and with just seven fixtures left, it feels inevitable that Mikel Arteta will finally get his hands on the trophy.
In the three seasons prior to this one, the north Londoners were forced to look up at just one other team in the table, turning them into something of nearly-men in recent years. Sunday afternoon’s Carabao Cup final defeat did little to shake that reputation as perennial bridesmaids, with Pep Guardiola once again getting the better of his former apprentice.
That 2-0 loss has reignited conversations around the title race, with many questioning whether falling at the final hurdle at Wembley Stadium could serve as a psychological setback for a side not accustomed to winning silverware. Weighing in on that debate, Scholes has pointed to the one City player he believes could derail Arsenal’s bid to finally end their long wait for the title.
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Scholes believes that Rodri looked back to his best during the Carabao Cup final, and he could be the player who could stop Arsenal winning the Premier League. Nico O'Reilly may have won Man of the Match for his two goals under the iconic arches, but the 51-year-old believes it will be the performances of the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner that sees the Cityzens go on a winning run until the campaign is out.
It might have taken the Spaniard a while to get back into the groove following his ACL injury last term, but Scholes told The Good, The Bad & The Football: “We’ve been in their position, Arsenal, where you come to the end of the season, and you can’t win a game when you’ve had a blow like that.
“I think that’s the best he [Rodri] has looked since he’s come back from his injury. I know he’s been back for a long time and struggled for it. Rightfully so, because he was out for a year. If he carries on like that, they’ll be unstoppable.”
When asked whether the March international break has come at the wrong time for City, Scholes has dismissed that and thinks the 2-0 win will give them big confidence.
“No, I think that’ll give them massive confidence. You know what, if they win the game in hand and beat Arsenal, it’s only three points all of a sudden,” claimed Scholes.
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Every time Arsenal have lost a match this season, they’ve bounced back with a winning streak. They can take plenty of confidence from the fact they’ve stayed headstrong throughout yet another campaign of playing twice a week, all while remaining in every competition they started in.
While discourse around their potential to slip up has reignited, the simple fact of the matter is that they remain firmly in the driving seat for Premier League glory. Win their remaining seven matches, and the Carabao Cup final loss will be nothing more than water under the bridge - just as Liverpool discovered less than 12 months ago.
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Their biggest obstacle, and perhaps only real stumbling block, is the trip to the Etihad Stadium on April 19. In all of Rodri’s 12 appearances against the Gunners, he is yet to taste defeat.
But with Pep Guardiola and co. currently on a run of back-to-back draws in the league, there’s every chance Arsenal can strike while the iron is hot and capitalise on more dropped points in the coming weeks - especially with the supercomputer giving them a 97 per cent chance of getting over the line.