Xabi Alonso has predicted that Arsenal and Liverpool will be strong contenders in the Premier League title race this season. The Bayer Leverkusen manager experienced Arsenal’s prowess firsthand before the season began, as his team suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Gunners. Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz all scored, with Adam Hlozek scoring a lone goal for Leverkusen.
Arsenal, having gone 18 years without a league title, are keen to end their drought after narrowly missing out to Manchester City in recent seasons. Alonso believes that Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, will be the biggest obstacle to Arsenal’s aspirations, while he also anticipates a strong challenge from his former club, Liverpool.
Alonso’s remarks come after speculation linking him to Jurgen Klopp’s position at Liverpool, which ended when Arne Slot was appointed, with Liverpool deciding against bringing Alonso back.
After the friendly match with Arsenal, Alonso commented, “In terms of the game, our performance was disappointing, but I’m glad it happened today. It’s a wake-up call. This is a new season and we need to start afresh. Our standards were far below what we usually achieve. If we don’t improve, it will be impossible to compete.”
He also acknowledged Arsenal’s progress, noting, “Arsenal has been building something significant, with Mikel Arteta leading a strong team at a top club. They will certainly be competing with the best. Manchester City will be a major contender, and Liverpool will also be a force.”
On the other hand, Mikel Arteta expressed contentment with his team’s performance while recognizing areas for improvement. He said, “We can take many positives from the game. Apart from the result, the performance had many good aspects both collectively and individually. We can learn a lot and improve, especially after making changes in the second half. It was a good test against a well-coached team, and overall, it was a solid performance.”
