Mark Lawrenson has claimed that Arsenal are Premier League title challengers if they can stomp out the defensive errors.
Mikel Arteta’s side pulled off a huge 1-0 win away to Manchester United last weekend.
It was Arsenal’s first Premier League victory at Old Trafford since 2006 and the victory propelled the North Londoners up to ninth in the table, four points behind champions Liverpool at the summit.
But the Gunners have still lost three of their seven games this season, with their most recent setback being a 1-0 reverse to Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.
That goal came about when Jamie Vardy headed into an empty net following the same sort of dodgy defending that has become synonymous with Arsenal over the past decade or so.
But Lawrenson reckons that Arteta’s side will be right up there challenging for the title if the Spaniard can get a handle on the sloppiness at the back.
He told BBC Sport: “After a good result like that, the Gunners need to push on and show they have eradicated the defensive mistakes that have cost them in the past. If they can stop them, then they will be right up there at the top of the table.”
It’s a pretty big shout by Lawrenson but, in fairness to Arteta, the defence is a million times better than it was under Unai Emery toward the end of his spell last year.
Then again, Arsenal are also scoring a lot less goals, having netted only nine times in their first seven Premier League matches.
They had 12 goals after seven games last term, and 14 the year before.
Creatively speaking, Arsenal conceding less isn’t much more significant if they’re also scoring less and that’s also something Arteta needs to remedy.
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