Speaking exclusively with Prime Casino, William Gallas said that Arsenal are starting to remind him of Tottenham by dropping points at key moments of the season.
The former Chelsea defender has also urged Cole Palmer to impress with England and explained how Nicolas Jackson is following in the footsteps of Didier Drogba.
The former France international has also urged Chelsea not to enter the race to sign Mohamed Salah on a free transfer – and stated that he could see the forward at PSG next season.
- Arsenal are starting to remind me of Tottenham - one more loss and the title is gone
- Cole Palmer has one more step to being the best player in the world
- Nicolas Jackson is following in the footsteps of Didier Drogba
- Mohamed Salah would be a disruption at Chelsea – I can see him joining PSG this summer
Q: Are Arsenal still in the title race after dropping points at Fulham?
WG: “It’s always the same problem with Arsenal, they put in good performances and win against big teams and then drop points when it really matters, when they had the chance to close the gap on Liverpool.
“The question is why because this has happened over the last three seasons, you have to ask what is going wrong with Arsenal.
“It’s the same problem every year and is it because the players aren’t good enough? The manager can’t seem to find the solution to find three points in that sort of game against Fulham.
“Arsenal are starting to remind me of Tottenham, sometimes they slip up when you don’t expect them too, Spurs have always done that but Arsenal haven’t.”
Q: What do Arsenal need to get back in the title race?
WG: “It’s clear to see what Arsenal need, they need a proper striker. Bukayo Saka was putting balls into the box and no one was able to capitalise against Fulham.
“If they want to win the league they need a striker but it might already be too late. It’s hard to do business in January and they have put themselves in that position after failing to sign a striker in the summer.
“I still want to believe that they will win the league but you have to win games like that against Fulham to win the title. I said that this was the season for Arsenal but that I was expecting them to sign a striker, if they drop points in a game like that again I think the title could be over.
“Arsenal have to change their style and buy that striker, in too many games they have wasted chances and dropped points.”
Q: Do Arsenal need to break the bank to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle?
WG: “Arsenal need a striker that suits the team and Alexander Isak would be a good fit. He’s a player that is powerful, he understands the game, he’s good technically, he wants to participate.
“The problem for Arsenal is that he won’t be cheap and it might take time for him to settle. That’s why they had to do their business in the summer. The chance has gone now.
“I think not signing a striker in the summer has cost Arsenal, they would be in Liverpool’s position at the top of the table otherwise.”
Q: Have Chelsea sent out a big statement to Liverpool by beating Tottenham?
WG: “Chelsea have sent a big statement out to Liverpool and to the other clubs in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat Tottenham.
“In terms of the season as a whole, nobody expected them to be in second place at this stage of the season, they were thought of as outsiders for the Champions League having only just brought in Enzo Maresca.
“But he has done what he set out to do with his players and settled in so well. It was a big derby against Tottenham and to come from behind the way they did was a big statement, they are magnificent at the moment.”
Q: What is going wrong for Tottenham?
WG: “Ange Postecoglou playing his two centre backs before they were fully fit, I cannot understand, he risked both of them and it backfired.
“They must’ve only just returned to training and now will be out for a while again, it’s hard for me to understand how the manager could make just a bad mistake.
“Micky van de Ven is a good defender but he gets injured so often that you should know not to take any risks on him. They are going to have to be so careful now about his recovery.”
Q: Is Cole Palmer the best player in Europe?
WG: “Cole Palmer can be the best player in Europe but I don’t want to hail him as the best player in the game until he does what he has done for Chelsea with England.
“But he has already put in so many great performances for Chelsea and looks like he doesn’t feel any pressure at all, he is so cool.
“The two penalties summed him up, Enzo Maresca has given him so much freedom and allowed him to play exactly where is best for him which has worked so well.”
Q: Are Arsenal over-reliant on Bukayo Saka?
WG: “It’s very simple, although Arsenal have very good forwards, there are no forwards at the same level as Bukayo Saka at Arsenal and if you want to win the league you need more top class forwards.
“Having Saka is great, but not only having Saka. If you look at Chelsea they have so many options on the wing, Liverpool have options, Manchester City have options.
“Arsenal don’t have enough depth and it’s a problem, they need more.”
Q: Should Arsenal try to sign Matheus Cunha in the summer?
WG: “It’s a good time for Matheus Cunha to think about joining a top club, but he needs to think about the team in which he will fit in best with his new team-mates.
“Arsenal need back-up in defence and midfield as well as a striker – with the striker being the most important at the moment.”
Q: Should Arsenal forget about winning the Champions League?
WG: “Arsenal should focus on the Premier League. In the Champions League there are teams better than Arsenal in the tournament including Liverpool, Barcelona and probably Bayern Munich.
“Arsenal have to focus on the Premier League and that should be the priority, not dropping any more points.
“I think this has to be the season for Arsenal because next year Liverpool will be there again, Chelsea will be up there as will Manchester City and maybe even Manchester United.
“They have to push themselves to the limit this season.”
Q: Have you seen enough weakness from Liverpool to give Chelsea hope?
WG: “Chelsea can take hope in the title race from Liverpool’s draw against Newcastle and defeat against Nottingham Forest.
“We’ve seen that if you put pressure on Liverpool then teams can cause them problems, you have to take them by surprise because they love playing at a high intensity.
“Teams can sometimes be afraid of Liverpool but Newcastle weren't and that showed, you need to be direct against them and not be scared to press them higher as they can make mistakes.”
Q: Is Enzo Maresca playing mind games with his rival managers?
WG: “I think at the start of the season he was being honest in saying that the other clubs were far ahead of Chelsea, but after the results this weekend I think he realised that finishing second is the new target.
“He will assume that Liverpool will win the title and see what happens around February, psychologically the win over Tottenham was big.
“From my experience I can tell you that all the other dressing rooms, including Arsenal and Manchester City will be talking about Chelsea this week, Chelsea are ready for second place and will see where they stand in terms of the title later in the season.”
Q: Do Chelsea have the best squad in the Premier League?
WG: “Chelsea’s squad is slowly getting stronger but I don’t think at the moment they have the best squad in the Premier League.
“But another positive is the average age being only 24, they are all of the same generation and are growing together, you can see the relationship between the players.
“However, Liverpool and Manchester City already have experience and it will be interesting to see how Chelsea react when things don’t go their way.”
Q: Should Reece James be stripped of the Chelsea captaincy?
WG: “Reece James will keep hold of the Chelsea captaincy because he is a Chelsea boy through and through.
“He does have too many injuries, the injury that keeps coming back from two or three years ago, it’s hard to watch because his body is suffering and it can be very difficult mentally.
“You are then always scared that you are going to get another injury, which is a shame because he can be the best right back in the world when he’s fit.
“I hope he has the strength to fight because one day this will all be behind him.”
Q: Is Nicolas Jackson following in the footsteps of Didier Drogba?
WG: “Nicolas Jackson is following in the footsteps of Didier Drogba.
“He had to learn about the Premier League, learn about his team-mates and how physical the games were – then in the second season he showed everyone he was the main man for Chelsea and that’s what Jackson has done.
“He has improved a lot but is still young, he fights for goals and when he doesn’t score you can see how disappointed he is, which is a good sign.
“His job now is to keep scoring more goals in each season he plays and he’ll get every opportunity to do that.”
Q: Should it be made a priority to keep Christopher Nkunku happy?
WG: “Chelsea need to make sure that keeping Christopher Nkunku happy is a priority, they have a big squad but he is very important to their success.
“Chelsea are in four competitions and having one option as a striker isn’t enough, he is second choice in the Premier League but will still start plenty of games as the season goes on.
“He will be playing in the cups and the Conference League and needs to also impress when he gets his chance in the league, he can fight alongside Nicolas Jackson and lead the club back to success.”
Q: Will Jadon Sancho be a bargain for Chelsea?
WG: “For me, Jadon Sancho still has a lot to prove at Chelsea. He put in a great performance against Tottenham but has maybe only done so three or four times this season.
“Players who have that type of quality, you need to see that in every game they play before you can start talking about how successful they are. I think by the end of the season we will see the level that Sancho is at.”
Q: Are Real Madrid the only club that could tempt Cole Palmer away from Chelsea?
WG: “At the moment, I think only Real Madrid and Barcelona could tempt Cole Palmer away from Chelsea and I think he would thrive playing his football in Spain.
“That could be three seasons in the future, but I think Chelsea fans should hope that neither of those clubs come in for him any time soon.”
Q: Should Chelsea try to sign Mohamed Salah on a bumper free transfer?
WG: “I think Chelsea should reject the chance to sign Mohamed Salah as a free agent this summer, I think he would be a disruption on the squad.
“The current Chelsea team are all learning and growing together and it’s working for Enzo Maresca. They are all part of a generation with no big egos, despite Cole Palmer being the focal point.
“I think bringing in a player like Salah wouldn’t be good for the balance of the squad, despite his form in the Premier League and how it would weaken Liverpool.”
Q: Could the confusion around Mohamed Salah’s contract cost Liverpool the title?
WG: “I think the confusion around Mohamed Salah’s contract could disrupt Liverpool, but not his form on the pitch.
“He is fighting as hard as ever and still wants the Golden Boot, but at the moment it does look like he will leave the club. I think there are two things that would confirm his exit, winning the Premier League or the Champions League.”
Q: Could you see Mohamed Salah at PSG next summer?
WG: “I can see Mohamed Salah playing at PSG next season and I think he would take them to another level.
“PSG are top of the table in France but it’s always the same problem in Europe where they struggle against better opposition, Salah could be the man to change that.
“They’ve always struggled to get past the quarter-finals but bringing in Salah would send a statement and show that they are again trying to be the best in Europe."
Q: Who are your favourites for Champions League glory?
WG: “My favourites for the Champions League this season are Barcelona. They have shown their level in the win against Bayern Munich.
“I think the best final would be Liverpool against Barcelona, with both teams fighting for their league titles and in Europe.”
Q: What do you make of the feud between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola?
WG: “Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola know each other so well and it’s good to see that there is still competition between them.
“They were the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of management when they were at the top of their game in Spain and it was like seeing them both fighting for the Ballon d’Or. They will always have their verbal fights but it’s great for football.”
Q: Do Tottenham need to replace Ange Postecoglou?
WG: “We can all see that the issue with Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham is that he has one style of play. He has to have more options.
“You have to adapt to your opponent so you can take them by surprise, it’s going to be so hard to get back into the top four the way they are playing.
“Tottenham have had so many managers in the last 10 years that Daniel Levy has to change something. Whether that be spending big on players or something else, something has to change.”
Q: How long until Ruben Amorim has Man Utd in the title race?
WG: “Ruben Amorim already has a big problem at Manchester United. Arriving in the middle of a season makes things so much tougher, especially when it comes to getting your system across to players and trying to explain how they should play.
“The difference between Amorim and Enzo Maresca is that Maresca came in during the summer and could get his ideas across early, it’s a big issue for Amorim this season and his side might only click next season.”
PRIME CASINO
Join Prime Casino and embark on your journey with a choice of welcome offers,exciting promotions, innovative features and one of the biggest selections of online casino games available. Transcend the Ordinary with Prime Casino – where exceptional experiences await!
