- Both Liverpool and Arsenal slipped up after Manchester City won last weekend
- Alexander-Arnold suggested Gunners lost their focus after his side were beaten
- IAN LADYMAN and CHRIS SUTTON have their say on the Premier League’s Player of the Year – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Trent Alexander-Arnold has taken a pop at Arsenal‘s mentality, suggesting they ‘got too excited’ after Liverpool slipped up in the Premier League title race last weekend.
Having seen Manchester City thrash Luton 5-1 on the Saturday, the Gunners then witnessed title rivals Liverpool lose 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace.
But Mikel Arteta‘s men were unable to capitalise as they lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa, a result that leaves the title in City’s hands.
Arsenal did return to the summit with a 2-0 victory at Wolves on Saturday night and Liverpool – currently third and three points off the top – have the chance to respond at Fulham on Sunday.
Ahead of that game, Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sports: ‘If those fixtures were reversed and we played second and Arsenal played first maybe it would have been a different mentality.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has suggested Arsenal ‘got too excited’ ahead of last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa – after the Gunners saw Liverpool had lost to Crystal Palace
Liverpool’s title chances were dealt a major blow as Palace came to Anfield and won 1-0
Arsenal endured their own disaster later that afternoon as Aston Villa won at the Emirates
‘It all come down to mentality. I think our result played a part in Arsenal’s result.
‘They potentially got too excited and thought this is our chance, this is what we need to do.
‘Maybe they overthought things whereas if us and City both won it made them think, ‘we just need to win’ rather than it being a chance to break away from the pack.
‘None of us have been in a three-horse race, so it’s difficult.’
Pep Guardiola’s side, chasing a fourth consecutive title win, are undefeated in Premier League action since Aston Villa beat them back on December 6 – some 18 matches ago.
They booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, recovering from the disappointment of losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
City also have a pretty kind final six games, facing Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham between now and May 19.
England star Alexander-Arnold knows Liverpool and Arsenal can’t be relying on them to slip up.
It’s left Manchester City in charge of the title race as their long unbeaten run continues
Arsenal returned to the summit after their win at Wolves on Saturday night and Liverpool can respond against Fulham on Sunday
‘Arsenal experienced it, we’ve experienced it two or three times, when you get into a title race with Man City they are borderline perfect,’ he added.
‘You can’t slip up or make mistakes. If you give them the upper hand, they don’t really blink in those moments. They don’t seem vulnerable. It’s a well-oiled machine.
‘That’s what they do, they click and there’s not stopping them. Giving them this advantage with six games to go is almost like handing them the title.
‘All we can do is someone does us a favour and get our goal difference up.
‘We’ve got six games left, it’ll fly by. Our aim is to win every game – that’s all we can do and try to capitalise.
Alexander-Arnold (right) spoke highly of City’s mentality when it comes to title races
‘It will be difficult but I’ve seen over the last few weeks of odds and percentage chances of who is going to win the league have fluctuated with just one result. Anything can happen in the Premier League.
‘They are a fantastic team with the squad they’ve got, the manager, it’s hard to think they won’t win it at this point. [But] stranger things have happened in the Premier League.’
