French-Senegalese Patrice Evra questions whether Arsenal can withstand title-race pressure

Patrice Evra says he is unsure whether Arsenal possess the resilience required to manage the pressure of this season’s Premier League title race.

The former France defender, who was born in Senegal before relocating to Europe as a child, believes Arsenal remain vulnerable despite leading the league. His concerns come after Mikel Arteta’s side saw their unbeaten streak abruptly halted by a dramatic 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Arsenal still sit two points clear, yet their setback allowed Manchester City to close the gap. Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Sunderland to strengthen their pursuit of the leaders, who continue to battle injuries and rising anxiety.

Evra, speaking to Tribal Football via Stake, reflected on long-standing debates surrounding Arsenal’s mentality when asked if winning the title would finally silence suggestions that the club routinely falters in decisive moments.

“It’s really difficult because every time I talk about Arsenal, it’s banter. I love Arsenal because of the football they played back in the day. Arsenal was the first team I watched in the Premier League because Thierry Henry invited me and I remember saying, ‘okay, I need to play in this league’.

“It’s a funny story with Arsenal. That’s why I called them ‘Netflix’. I know a lot of fans were like, ‘wow, you hate us’. First of all, I can’t hate my babies. I used to call them my babies, but it’s banter.”

The former Manchester United full-back criticised the inconsistency he sees in Arteta’s team, especially after their lengthy unbeaten run ended so abruptly.

“My problem with Arsenal is they’re going to give you hope they’re going to win the league. You remember they had a good gap on second place and now they’re only a few points in front.

“I don’t know if they can handle the pressure. They bought a striker, that’s what was missing, a proper striker. They’ve got everything now. So I don’t think it’s an excuse for them to fail this year.

“So they get players that can make a difference, but they still like scoring goals with a corner kick or set pieces.

“I watched an Arsenal game a few weeks ago and people were saying they were playing good football, but they are playing direct. They don’t even play from the back, that’s not what I want to see. I just have that feeling of Arsenal not being a winning team.”

Arsenal host Wolves next as they aim to quickly recover. The visitors remain winless, and the league leaders will expect nothing less than a strong response as the title race tightens.