‘I Can’t See Arsenal Dropping Off’: Owen Backs Arsenal for Title Challenge After 1-0 Victory Over Aston Villa

Premier League pundit Michael Owen has backed Arsenal to remain firmly in contention for the Premier League title after their narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal as the reigning champions made it two wins from two matches, and Owen believes Arsenal’s consistency and efficiency could make them difficult for their rivals to catch.

‘When you look at the bigger picture, I can’t see Arsenal dropping off. I just can’t see how they can stumble; they’re just consistent, they’re always going to be in and around there,’ Owen said.

‘Can anyone catch them? I don’t see them dropping off; their style of play is too efficient.’

Owen was particularly impressed by Arsenal’s ability to find a way through a tightly packed Villa defence, describing Saka’s winning goal as an excellent example of the champions’ quality.

‘I was really impressed with Arsenal’s winner. Trying to crack a packed defence is not easy and it was a lovely goal. Grinding out a 1-0 win at Villa Park is good stuff,’ he added.

Despite Villa’s defeat, Owen felt Unai Emery’s side showed significant improvement from their opening-day disappointment and deserved credit for their performance.

‘I thought Aston Villa played reasonably well tonight. There was a bit improvement from the first game and Unai Emery will be reasonably pleased. When you put in all that effort and don’t get anything out of it, it’s frustrating, but I thought they gave a good account of themselves.’

Arsenal’s victory also extended their impressive record in August. The reigning champions have won 17 of their last 18 Premier League matches played in the month, drawing the other, since Manchester City lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur during the 2021/22 season.

The Gunners have also scored in each of their last 18 Premier League matches, their longest scoring run in the competition since they found the net in 20 consecutive games between August 18, 2018 and January 1, 2019.

Attention now turns to Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea, and Owen believes the Blues possess enough attacking quality to pose a serious threat to Arsenal’s title ambitions.

‘Sunday should be a fascinating game. Chelsea’s front three looks as good as anything in the Premier League at the moment; Cole Palmer has got the bit between his teeth,’ Owen said.

‘They’re creating so many chances, but you can’t give away the amount they have been doing at Arsenal. They could be the fly in the ointment that challenge Arsenal this season.’