Invincible Jeremie Aliadiere: Arteta The Right Man To End Arsenal's Title Wait
Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere believes Mikel Arteta has built something genuinely special at the Emirates.
The Gunners have finished second in each of the past three seasons, but the former frontman believes this could be the year they finally go one better.
Speaking exclusively to online casinos comparison site Gambling.com, Aliadiere – who won the FA Cup with Arsenal during the Invincibles era – shared his thoughts on the Premier League title race and Arsenal's Champions League prospects.
He also discussed the relegation battle involving his former club West Ham, as well as France's chances at this summer's World Cup.
With his former club in contention on four fronts, Aliadiere believes the structure Arteta has built is the foundation for long-term success, not just a one-season push.
Asked about the season so far and the culture the manager has created, he said: "I believe Arsenal have the right head coach for long-term success.
"Arsenal are still in all four competitions and the depth of the squad is proving to be key for Arsenal this season.
"Should Arsenal somehow not achieve the title, I still believe Mikel Arteta is the right man for the job long term and is producing a brilliant culture at the club.
"You can see this by the results that Mikel is showing real consistency now with the title in sight."
Champions League Draw Good To Gunners
With Arsenal in the knockout stages of the Champions League, Aliadiere sees a genuine path to the final as they go in search of multiple trophies.
He believes the draw has been kind, but warns that Arteta's side will need to be at their very best if they are to go all the way in Europe.
The Gunners will play Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 and, if they get past the German side, it's Sporting or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals for a place in the last four.
Beyond that, they would face one of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Newcastle or Tottenham in the semi‑finals.
"With how the draw has come out, Arsenal have an absolutely brilliant chance of progressing deep in this tournament," he said.
“Bayer Leverkusen are first up in the round of 16 and after losing many title-winning players, they are not as strong as they have been, so Arsenal will fancy their chances over two legs, with the second leg at the Emirates.
"Should Arsenal progress to the final, then it could be any one on that side of the draw, including PSG, Bayern, Man City, Liverpool or Real Madrid.
“That would be one hell of a final and one where Arsenal would need to be faultless, clinical and at their best."
Blocking Out The Noise In The Title Race
As Arsenal strive to end a 22-year title drought, Aliadiere believes Arteta's side have shown the mental fortitude needed in a title race.
Having won silverware at the club himself, he understands better than most the psychological demands of a run-in against a Manchester City side who have been there before.
Yet he has been heartened by the way the squad has bounced back from recent disappointments at Brentford and Wolves, delivering commanding victories to keep their championship dream alive.
"I think if you want to be champions, you've got to block the noise and I think we did that back in our time,” he explained.
“But we didn't have social media. We didn't have all that access to people and the criticism. So I think these days it's much tougher to block the noise and carry on working.
“I think Mikel and his staff are doing an amazing job with that and I never see any players that look affected by any criticism.
"I’ve been through a few periods this season where you just think, ‘oh God, a couple of draws, is that the period where they’re going to maybe lose it?’
"But no, they bounce back.
“I just feel the criticism can’t be affecting them that much because they always seem to bounce back quite quickly.”
Stark Warning For London Rivals
With Arsenal's north London rivals Tottenham and Aliadiere's former club West Ham both embroiled in the relegation battle, the Frenchman has a stark warning from personal experience.
Having been relegated with Middlesbrough, he knows exactly how dangerous complacency can be at the wrong end of the table.
He said: "I've been in a relegation team with Middlesbrough and I thought we were too good to go down.
“But when you are dragged down to that level, there's no more quality, there's no more talent. It's all about graft and believing and fighting as a unit and that's the problem.
"I look at Spurs and that is the problem they've got. You've got players in there that think they're too good to get relegated, but you're the players that got in this position in the first place.
Les Bleus To Go One Better
With the World Cup taking place this summer, Aliadiere is backing his homeland to go one better than their runner-up finish in 2022, when France were beaten by Argentina in a dramatic final that ended 3-3 before Les Bleus lost on penalties.
He believes the painful defeat in Qatar could provide extra motivation this time around, as France look to reclaim the trophy on the biggest stage.
Aliadiere sees a squad packed with experience and emerging talent, with one familiar superstar expected to lead the charge once again.
"I believe France have an excellent chance this year,” he revealed.
“The head coach is super experienced, the squad will want to go one better than in 2022, and key players know how to navigate through the group stages and perform on the biggest stage.
"Kylian Mbappe once again will be a key player, but it's super exciting to see young players like Michael Olise perform for Bayern.
“He will be one to watch this summer, along with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Hugo Ekitike, who we all know very well from the Premier League."
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