‘No chance’ – Man Utd legend Paul Scholes makes worrying Arsenal title claim | Football

Paul Scholes has warned Arsenal they have ‘no chance’ of winning the Premier League until they start turning up in ‘big games’.

The Gunners still have a two-point cushion at the top of the Premier League despite a deflating 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Leandro Trossard’s second-half goal cancelled out Matty Cash’s first-half opener and looked set to earn Mikel Arteta’s side a point at Villa Park.

But Emiliano Buendia scored with virtually the last kick of the game to inflict just a second defeat on Arsenal this season and send third-placed Aston Villa into title contention.

Manchester City, who look to be Arsenal’s biggest rival for the title, thumped Sunderland 3-0 a few hours later to cap off a disappointing afternoon for the current leaders.

Arsenal remain favourites to win the title, according to the bookmakers at least, but Scholes says Arteta’s side need to start winning ‘the big games’ if they are going to end the club’s 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy.

‘Man City have a great chance now, don’t they?’ Scholes, a 11-time Premier League winner with Manchester United, said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

‘I still don’t think they’re quite right but they always get better in the second-half of the season and the thing with Arsenal is they can’t win a big game.

‘Until they start winning big games they’ve got no chance of winning the league.

‘They lost to Liverpool, they couldn’t beat Man City at home when they were struggling. Aston Villa are a good team, don’t get me wrong, but Arsenal just can’t win big games. They couldn’t beat Chelsea after they went down to ten men.

‘If you’re going to win the league you’ve got to start winning some big games, you’ve got to beat your rivals, and they can’t do it.

‘Historically Man City always get better after January. They were in the Club World Cup so they didn’t really have a pre-season.’

Scholes’ former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt, meanwhile, has backed Manchester City to reel Arsenal in and win yet another title.

‘I did say I fancied Man City for the title about a month ago,’ Butt said. ‘They’re suddenly clicking.

‘The reason I think Man City will win the league is Pep [Guardiola]. He’s got the experience. I can see him winning the league this year and then leaving.’

Arsenal will fully expect to return to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday when bottom-placed Wolves visit the Emirates Stadium.

Man City face a potentially tricky trip to Crystal Palace, the team that beat them in last season’s FA Cup final, while Aston Villa visit West Ham.

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