Rio Ferdinand has responded to a fan’s hot take that Arsenal will finish below Chelsea this season – and it is fair to say that he is not confident for the Blues.
Ferdinand was speaking in a video with TNT Sports when it was put to him that Mauricio Pochettino’s men could actually finish above the Gunners this term.
Of course, Arsenal have got extremely high hopes for this season. Mikel Arteta’s side finished second in the Premier League last year, pushing Manchester City all the way.
Ferdinand reacts to fan’s claim Arsenal will finish below Chelsea
It is fair to say that they completely surpassed expectations. The less about Chelsea’s performance last season meanwhile, the better.
Stamford Bridge was a miserable place to be last year. However, there is a little more optimism with Mauricio Pochettino now at the helm. The 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the opening day whetted the appetite for what could be to come in the coming years.
Admittedly, the Blues are still a work in progress. So it should probably come as no surprise that Ferdinand could not get on board with the idea that we would finish above the Gunners this season.
“As much as I would love to see that, it won’t happen,” he told TNT Sports. “Arsenal were brilliant last season. Arteta was magnificent. The recruitment again has been wonderful.
“They’ve had arguably had one of the best, strongest transfer windows up until this point. Declan Rice, Timber, Havertz, definitely strengthened the squad, the depth, the quality. I think they’ll be top three this year. They won’t win the league though.”
Arsenal have definitely rolled the dice this season. They have also spent a large amount as they look to take that final step.
They now have a squad full of players approaching their peaks in the next few years. So they could potentially be a real force in the Premier League for some time yet if everything clicks.
Having said that, Chelsea are moving in the right direction again. There is now more balance to the squad. And there is such a talented group of players available to Pochettino.
It is hard to disagree with Ferdinand’s take for this season, in all honesty. But this year is definitely an opportunity to lay down a marker and show a few glimpses of what should be to come from the Blues.
