Arsenal Legend Tells Mikel Arteta Why He Can't Win Premier League
- Arsenal legend Tony Adams sparked mixed reactions by claiming Mikel Arteta and his team are not yet ready to win the Premier League
- The Gunners are chasing their first Premier League title in 21 years and have been getting ever closer
- The North London giants finished second in the last three campaigns and will once again challenge for the title next season
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Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams has explained why the Gunners cannot win the coveted Premier League just yet.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal have finished second in the last three seasons, losing the title to Manchester City and Liverpool.
Still, Mikel Arteta has turned the Gunners into an elite European force after years of underachievement.
They reached the Champions League semis last season but lost to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Why haven't Arsenal ended Premier League drought?
The Gunners have struggled to return to the pinnacle of English football since their unbeaten 2004 title triumph.
They endured a nine-year trophy drought before clinching the 2014 FA Cup. Now, they face another five-year dry spell since their 2020 FA Cup victory.
The Premier League crown has proven the toughest for them to secure, with Manchester City and Liverpool dominating, claiming every title since 2018.
However, the Gunners are edging closer each year. They finished second in the past three seasons, narrowly losing the 2024 title by just two points.
They have signed Viktor Gyokeres, a player Gunners fans see as a game-changer.
Why can't Arsenal win Premier League yet?
Arsenal legend Tony Adams sparked controversy with his claim that the Gunners can't win the Premier League with Martin Ødegaard as captain. He wants Declan Rice as the new captain.
"He's (Arteta) got a really big call to make this year and for me he hasn't done it," he told the Independent. "The call is to make Declan Rice the captain. I think Declan is my kind of captain, and it might free Odegaard up to play with a bit more freedom."
Source: Getty Images
"And I'm seeing Declan Rice as a captain but I'm saying to Arteta: "Come on, step up now. It's your time to be a winning manager and a fantastic manager, because you're not going to win the league with Odegaard as captain."
Odegaard was made captain ahead of the 2022/23 season. Arsenal will kick off their 2025/26 season on Sunday, August 17, against Manchester United.
How Arsenal fans reacted to Tony Adams' comments
@TroopzAFC:
"Tony Adams led us to 4 league titles, 1 league cup (won 2), 3 FA cups and our last European trophy, he knows what he’s talking about. Arteta should take note!! Make Declan Rice Arsenal captain 👊🏽."
@chimzy_black:
"Not happening, the team morale could be destroyed by that move. There is a captain group in the squad and Rice is part of that group."
@MoArsenal86:
"Tony Adams is spot on. This is a man who captained 4 league titles - I think he knows a thing or two about captaincy. Ødegaard wearing the armband is a travesty."
@jeffrey_dalyop_:
"Tony Adams is what you get when you hand an old fool a microphone in a room full of people ready to milk every unfiltered word out of him. A clown in a circus."
@mikun_ux:
"Could care less if he’s Mr Premier league, that’s a very stupid statement."
Will Arsenal win the Premier League?
In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Opta's supercomputer predicted the winner of the 2025/26 Premier League title.
The Gunners have a 24.3% chance of winning the Premier League, but Liverpool are the favourites with a 28.5% chance.
Arsenal have last won the Premier League 21 years ago but are getting closer.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
