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Despite Arsenal vying for the Premier League title three seasons in a row, the former Manchester United player believes the Gunners have gone backwards under Mikel Arteta
Despite Arsenal’s impressive Champions League run, Rio Ferdinand has questioned their progress under Mikel Arteta, claiming they have actually gone backwards in recent years.
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The former Manchester United defender believes the Gunners lack the depth and firepower needed to truly challenge in Europe.
Ferdinand slams Arsenal’s Champions League chances
Arsenal dominated the group stage and made light work of PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 first leg, but their quarter-final path will see them take on one of Europe’s biggest sides; either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
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Ferdinand isn’t convinced they can handle such a challenge, claiming they are only the fifth-best team in their half of the draw.
Speaking after Arsenal’s 7-1 win over PSV, he said, “I think Arsenal are probably the fourth-best team at Champions League level on that side of the draw, not even in the competition on that side of the draw.
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“Behind Liverpool, behind Real Madrid, behind Atletico Madrid, behind Paris Saint-Germain. They’re fifth, I put Arsenal fifth at Champions League level. Mad that, isn’t it?
“You can’t get to a place where you’ve got a CDM playing centre-forward when you’re trying to win the league, the Champions League. It doesn’t make sense.”
Ferdinand claims Arsenal have gone backwards
While Arsenal remain Premier League title contenders, Ferdinand believes they haven’t built on last season’s momentum and might even be worse off.
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The former Manchester United defender said, “I don’t think it’s that they can’t win under Arteta, I just think they’ve gone further away than where they were the last two years.
“Points-wise, they were almost breaking records, and it was only Manchester City playing against them. So they’ve gone backwards from those last couple of years, I believe that in that sense.”
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Ferdinand acknowledged Arsenal’s ambitions but questioned their January transfer decisions, particularly their reluctance to sign a new striker, saying, “I think they would argue that if the right one isn’t available, they won’t buy, and I respect that.”
With Arsenal still in Premier League and Champions League contention, only time will tell if Arteta’s project is truly stagnating or on the verge of a major breakthrough.
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