Ex-Arsenal Striker Optimistic About Gunners’ Title Chances

Paul Mariner on Arsenal’s Premier League chances…

Former Arsenal striker Paul Mariner is quietly confident that his former club can make some noise in the title race this season, though he’s unsure whether Alexis Sanchez will be here beyond the window.

Mariner has been very critical of the club in the past, but the ESPN pundit feels a potential front three of Alexis, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette has the scope to do very well.

Following our Community Shield win against Chelsea, Mariner feels the strength in depth is visible at Arsenal when you reel off the players who were unavailable for the clash.

Alexis, Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Francis Coquelin, Laurent Koscielny were among the absentees, while the champions were able to field many of the players who won them the league last season.

“If you’ve got Lacazette, and you’ve got Sanchez and Ozil playing behind him, I think you’ve got something that can do major things,” he told ESPN FC.

“There’s no doubt that the strength in depth is there.

“Is that strength in depth eight, nines and tens? I think they’re more six and sevens.”

To be fair, there isn’t a squad in the world where you have players Mariner would describe as “nines and tens” competing for each position.

There’s a reason why you have squad players, they do a temporary job rather efficiently – and we have that profile a player.

source: ESPN FC