Rio Ferdinand slams Arsenal stars’ lack of leadership

Rio Ferdinand has questioned the leadership of Arsenal’s stars after their Premier League title challenge imploded.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been in pole position to lift the title for the majority of the season, spending 245 days at the top of the table.

However, their form has dipped in recent weeks as they picked up just nine points from their past seven games and their challenge collapsed on Sunday as they were beaten 3-0 by Brighton. 

It leaves the Gunners four points off Manchester City having played a game more, meaning City could win the league this weekend if they beat Chelsea.

Ferdinand won six titles with Manchester United during his time at Old Trafford from 2002 to 2014, including one in his debut season. 

They spent 245 days in first place and led Man City by eight points just a few months ago

But in that 2002-03 campaign, they were in a fierce battle with Arsene Wenger’s Gunners side who would go onto become Invincibles the next season. 

And the former defender, speaking on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, reflected on his own experiences in title races with United and slammed Arsenal’s key men.

He said: ‘The first time I won the league right, we went and drew at Bolton away and the team we were chasing was Arsenal and they won that weekend.

‘I was sitting in the changing room thinking we’ve thrown it away man. I was down, shoulders slumped in my chair sitting there thinking what are we going to do man?

‘And I went in the shower and I remember hearing Roy Keane and Gary Neville going “ah it’s a great point. What a point that is. It’s a hard place to come we’ll go next week and go again, this is a good point”. 

‘And my whole vibe changed, my body language, everything changed.’

Following the disappointing draw with Bolton in February of that year, United went onto win nine of their final 10 games as they pipped the Gunners to the title by five points.

Ferdinand reflected on his own experiences in title races including a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bolton in 2003 before United re-captured their form and pipped Arsenal to the league

He questioned if Arsenal’s leaders reassured their young squad when they dropped points

Ferdinand explained how the encouragement from his team-mates gave him a huge boost but he doubted something similar had happened with Mikel Arteta’s side.

Having been eight points clear at the start of April, they drew three successive games to Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton before losing to title rivals Manchester City. 

Ferdinand continued: ‘Now was there anyone doing that (encouraging team-mates) in the changing room at Arsenal after the games against West Ham, Southampton, Liverpool?

‘Was there anyone in that dressing room who went to that young team, young players, all those inexperienced players that haven’t been around titles.

‘Was there someone going – “Listen, woah woah woah 2-2 at Anfield is a big result for us. Where have they been the last three or four years, what have they done?”

‘This isn’t an idiot team they have won big trophies in recent years. So listen, come out of their with your head held high and go again.’

The Gunners now end the season with an away game at Nottingham Forest, before they host Wolves on the final day.