In years gone by, Arsenal and Manchester United were used to competing at the top of the Premier League table and winning titles.
But it has been a long while since the English giants got their hands on the title.
Whilst Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are trying to do everything they can to turn that around, it’s more trouble for those at Manchester United after their 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park on Saturday.
One of the players who has been a major talking point has been Marcus Rashford and Ian Wright thinks he can take a leaf out of the book of two Arsenal players – Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
All three have one thing in common, they are boyhood fans of their club, and just like the Hale-End duo did a number of years ago, Ian Wright thinks the struggling Marcus Rashford needs to ‘drag the team through’ its current troubles, as he told Premier League Productions (04/12/23 at 2:50 pm).
From 13 Premier League games this season, the 26-year-old only has two goals to his name, including a penalty. It doesn’t make good reading.
But following Jamie Carragher’s comments about extra pressure on local players, that topic was also discussed by Ian Wright.
Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe
“Yes, I think so (there is evidence to support criticism aimed at Rashford),” agreed Wright.
“I watched this game (against Newcastle). Yes, he still tried to take on, but if you just look at his manner and his body language. People will say ‘Oh, here we go, the body language again’. It’s how you react.
“I heard Jamie Carragher saying something very, very interesting about being a local player and what it means to the fans. I thought it was a fantastic point.
“You have to, just like he did, Steven Gerrard, just like Saka at Arsenal. We saw Saka and Emile Smith Rowe a couple of years ago, them two young players were dragging that team through. You have that responsibility, whether you like it or not.
“Unfortunately, watching that game and a few games. And I have also seen it from Anthony Martial, there seems to be no fight in them.”
Bukayo Saka is flying ahead of Marcus Rashford
It needs to be noted that when Saka was coming through at Arsenal as a fresh-faced teenager, it wasn’t easy.
The team had finished eighth in the table in back-to-back seasons and there was serious pressure on Mikel Arteta.
But the powers that be stuck by Arteta, including the manager himself putting a lot of faith in players like Saka and now the results are there for everyone to see.
After scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists last season, he already has five goals and six assists to his name from 13 matches this term, with Arsenal sitting top of the Premier League pile.
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