Emmanuel Petit says Arsenal can’t win titles because of one player

A four-match winless run has cost Arsenal control of the Premier League title race going into their final five games of the season.

Arsenal can’t realize their trophy ambitions as long as Rob Holding continues to feature in defense every game, according to former Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

Mikel Arteta’s side were dismally exposed in a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium last weekend. Erling Haaland ran riot over a hapless defensive unit led by Holding, who Petit believes has adversely affected Gabriel Magalhaes’ confidence.

“I don’t want to criticize Holding, he puts in a lot of effort and has done his very best, but if you want to win titles I think it’s difficult for Holding to play every game as he’s been required recently,” the Frenchman told Compare.bet.

“I can see Gabriel doesn’t have the same confidence when he plays with Holding, he looks like a different defender. Defensively Arsenal are not as strong when Saliba and Gabriel do not play together, it impacts the rest of the team, and they don’t play the same way. [Ben] White and [Oleksandr] Zinchenko don’t attack enough when Saliba isn’t there. It affects them mentally and with their confidence, they miss him when he’s not there.”

Was Fabio Vieira a good signing?

Petit also raised doubts regarding Fabio Vieira’s €35 million move to the Premier League club, suggesting that his lack of physicality would make him susceptible in the tougher English top flight.

“I don’t think Fabio Vieira has shown as of yet, that he is the right level to play for Arsenal. When he signed I thought to myself ‘this guy looks very lightweight for the Premier League’. I don’t think he’s ready for the Premier League physically and mentally,” the former Arsenal and Chelsea star added.

“You can also say that he’s struggled not getting consistent game time and when you compare him to Emile Smith-Rowe, who I think has a future with Arsenal, he’s not the same. Respectfully, I think it was perhaps a mistake signing Vieira.”