Gary Cahill shone as Crystal Palace sealed another Premier League away win at West Ham – imagine what he could’ve done at Unai Emery’s Arsenal.
Ray Parlour thinks Arsenal made a mistake not signing Gary Cahill this summer after watching the veteran defender produce another impressive performance at the heart of Crystal Palace’s backline, speaking to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT (7 October, 9am).
The Gunners have conceded more than 50 goals in each of the last two Premier League seasons and even though they kept a rare clean sheet in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Bournemouth, Unai Emery’s side still look as leaky as ever at the back.
David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos look an accident waiting to happen at the back while Rob Holding, a highly-rated future captain, has only just returned from over a year on the sidelines.
So Parlour is not the only Arsenal fan who will be wondering why Cahill was not snapped up on a free when his contract at Chelsea expired in July. The Mirror (17 April, page 59) claims that The Gunners were interested in the former England international before he joined Crystal Palace.
“Gary Cahill has been a brilliant signing for Palace. (Nearly) 34 years old, he was out for two months, probably didn’t kick a ball but he’s kept himself in shape and come back into the side with all his experience,” Parlour said after the one-time Champions League winner shone during a 2-1 win away at West Ham on Saturday.
“He’d have done a good job for them (Arsenal) the way they’re playing at the moment, the way they’re leaking goals.”
Cahill was written off far too easily after a miserable season under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. And the 33-year-old has shown that there is life in the old dog yet, rolling back the years with a masterful display against The Hammers. Cahill also shone in a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in August.
Arsenal would surely have benefited from his experience, leadership and cool head on and off the pitch.
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