Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has delivered a harsh assessment of Arsenal’s shaky title push, warning that their recent slip could define their season negatively.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast on Instagram, Mikel did not hold back: “Those Arsenal players have to understand that if they don’t win, it’s gonna be their biggest disaster in the history of the Premier League.”
His comments follow Arsenal’s costly slip, which allowed Manchester City, who beat Chelsea, to close the gap in the title race.
Mikel stressed that Arsenal missed a golden opportunity to extend their lead. “If they’d won that game on Saturday, it would have been twelve points. But they took their foot off the gas, and City came right back. Now it’s six points, and both teams are playing at the Etihad. If City win, that’s three points and a game in hand.”
He also criticised manager Mikel Arteta, suggesting the team lacks direction. “Right now they look like a team out of sparks. They don’t know what they’re doing. He looks out of ideas.”
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Mikel further claimed that fans have begun to turn on the manager, insisting that supporters are now seeing the issues he has pointed out for months.
Mocking Arteta’s rallying call, he said, “Bring your dinner, bring your lunch, bring everything,” adding, “The fans did show up, but the Arsenal players failed to show up.”
According to the former midfielder, Arsenal currently lack urgency and confidence, with players unwilling to take responsibility. “If the players don’t want the ball, there’s a problem,” he warned.
He concluded by questioning the team’s mentality under pressure. “The pressure isn’t there, and when the pressure is there they need to show up.”
With the title race tightening, Mikel warned that Arsenal must respond quickly or risk letting City take full control.
