Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has expressed confidence that Arsenal are in prime position to clinch this season’s Premier League title.
The Gunners currently sit at the top of the table, maintaining an unbeaten run of 10 games across all competitions.
They lead the standings ahead of Bournemouth, Tottenham, and newly promoted Sunderland, while holding a six-point advantage over Manchester City and a seven-point lead over defending champions Liverpool, both of whom suffered defeats over the weekend.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder asserted that Arsenal have no excuse not to lift the title this season.
“This season I think it’s Arsenal’s. It’s Arsenal’s to lose. It’s Arsenal’s to lose. If Mikel Arteta and Arsenal don’t win the Premier League, the squad, the depth that they have is frightening,” Mikel said.
He went on to praise the team’s strength in depth, claiming the North London club currently possess the best squad in world football.
“They have the best squad, not just in the Premier League, not just in England… In world football right now, I bet you there’s no better squad. Depth squad. Name one squad—you’re not talking about the 11 that start—what do you have on the bench that comes in and win games? Arsenal, it’s not better sometimes. It’s not just the starting 11 that wins your game; it’s who you bring off the bench,” he added.
Citing the Gunners’ impact players, Mikel highlighted how substitutes have been instrumental in key victories.
“We’ve seen Arsenal; how many games have they won, you know, Martinelli coming off the bench, winning them games. [Eberechi] Eze is coming off the bench, winning games. [Mikel] Merino as well is injured… [Kai] Havertz is injured… No [Martin] Ødegaard, no Gabriel Jesus. It’s frightening. Yeah, the squad that Arsenal has got right now… and Mikel Arteta knows that. He knows that. He knows that this is Arsenal’s title to lose.”
Mikel concluded by emphasizing that failure to win the league would be inexcusable for Arteta and his team.
“If he doesn’t win it, if Mikel Arteta does not win it, listen, any Arsenal fan can agree with me. They can get upset as much as they want, but deep down they know it’s the truth. Yeah, this is the season. This is the season for Arsenal to win the Premier League. City, it’s not there. Liverpool’s struggling.”
