Joe Cole says ‘nothing significant’ has been achieved by Arsenal yet and has backed Chelsea to finish this campaign higher than the current Premier League leaders.
The Gunners have lost just once this season and sit two points clear at the top of the table, 10 points ahead of Chelsea ahead of their meeting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
While ex-Blues player Cole is a huge fan of Mikel Arteta and the work he has done at Arsenal this season, he is not convinced they can maintain their form and feels Chelsea can still close the gap.
‘We have to be very mindful of what’s happening at Arsenal because nothing has paid off as of yet,’ Cole told The Sun. ‘Arsenal have set high standards for themselves.
‘I do like what they’re doing. I enjoy watching Arsenal play, which I haven’t said for a long time.
‘I like Mikel Arteta and what he does, how he sets up the team and I like the young players.
‘Nothing significant has been achieved at Arsenal as of yet with their high standards, but they’re on the right path. ‘Chelsea have battled at a different level over the last 20 years. We have to say that.
‘Chelsea are the most successful team in the country over the last 20 years. ‘I still feel Chelsea can more than compete and go above Arsenal very soon.’
Chelsea will be without both their first-choice wing-backs – Reece James and Chilwell – for the visit of Arsenal, with Potter facing huge criticism for the latter’s injury.
Chilwell’s hamstring ‘popped’ against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday in what was a dead rubber, with Chelsea already having won the group, but Cole has defended Potter’s team selection and feels the defender probably needed game time.
He explained: ‘I’ve seen that argument, and I don’t like it. When you play at the level Chelsea play at it is very easy to criticise the manager picking a player at any time.
‘There is so much in-depth behind the scenes, we don’t know what the situation was. He could have benefited from the game.’
