Peter Schmeichel has pinpointed two critical matches that may impact Arsenal’s quest for the Premier League crown.
After a two-decade hiatus, Arsenal is well-positioned to reclaim the Premier League title, currently leading the pack.
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Under Mikel Arteta’s leadership, Arsenal, last year’s runners-up, are neck and neck with Liverpool, edging ahead on goal difference.
Manchester City, the reigning champions, are in third place, aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Schmeichel, a five-time Premier League champion with Manchester United, believes Arsenal has the potential to secure the title this season, provided they triumph over Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team after a series of underwhelming performances, will face Arsenal in London for the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday evening.
When asked for his take on the Premier League title race, Schmeichel told talkSPORT: ‘I think when you look at just the defences, Arsenal and Man City are at a very similar level.
‘You look at the options Pep Guardiola has got in his backline, he has got some great players back there and a lot of experience.
‘Seven games seems not very much for people who haven’t been in a title race before, it feels like you’re already there. But seven game – 21 points – is a long way to go. You have to really focus and concentrate.
‘Everyone is pointing to Arsenal now but they have a few challenges coming up, the first one is Bayern Munich. It’s one thing playing in the Premier League and getting on a roll but you need to play another way in the Champions League.
‘So these Bayern games will play a very big part in the title race. They’re not too experienced with this, either. They needed penalties to beat Porto remember.
‘You have to keep the momentum in a title race and I look at those Bayern games, if they get through them I think they will win the Premier League.’
Arsenal remains cautious, aiming to avoid a repeat of last season’s outcome where they led the Premier League only to end up five points adrift of Manchester City.
This season’s Arsenal squad appears more formidable than the previous one, and they continued their pursuit of the title with a commanding 3-0 victory against Brighton.
While Manchester City secured a win at Crystal Palace, Liverpool’s title hopes suffered a setback as they conceded two vital points in a dramatic 2-2 stalemate with Manchester United.
