Ex-England boss pinpoints why Arsenal have advantage in title race this time around

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In May 2023, after taking over as Leeds United manager, it was no surprise to hear Sam Allardyce being particularly bullish. If there is one thing Allardyce has always had as a manager, it is unwavering self-belief.

“I might be 68 and old,” he said when arriving at Elland Road, “but there is no-one ahead of me in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not Arteta.” And, now, at 71 years of age, although he won’t say it, Big Sam probably still believes that to be the case. But he is more than happy to admit that Mikel Arteta is coming of managerial age at Arsenal .

And to Allardyce’s approval, the Spaniard’s progression looks as though it is based on the theory that attacks win games and defences win titles. Big Sam simply loves Arsenal's defensive solidity.

“Mikel is experienced enough now,” says Allardyce. “The club and team have gone forward and the board has backed him all along. It shows you how long it can take. It has been five or six years. But I think this is Arsenal’s and Mikel’s year.”

Supporting the Sky Bet/British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign at a special event in Bolton, Allardyce went on to explain how things have fallen into place for Arsenal to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2003-04, saying: “ Manchester City are still going through a transition and Liverpool have run into massive problems with integration.

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"Integrating new players into a new culture and a new environment is one of the most difficult things to do, no matter how much you spend. You can never be totally sure of how well they will accept the environment they are going into. That is obviously causing them a particular problem at the moment.”

And while that problem with integration has seen the champions concede 17 goals in their opening 11 Premier League games, Arsenal have shipped a paltry five. And two of those came in the recent draw at Sunderland .

“We can go on about the goals but it will not matter unless you have a great defensive record,” says Allardyce. “If you have the best defence in the league, it means you win the ball back quicker and are more creative anyway.”

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And he is clearly unconcerned about the loss of Gabriel for a few weeks, adding: “The strength in depth of Arteta’s squad is better than ever now. They and he are now experienced enough.

“It is a big year for Arsenal. They should have won it three years ago. I’m not being disrespectful to Mikel but they blew it. If they can handle the pressure, it would be great for the Premier League if someone else wins it.

“And, again, I do think it is Arsenal’s year - and that is based on two simple elements. They are have a lot of options for attacking and scoring goals and they have always had one of the best defences in the league.”

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Allardyce was inspired to help the Every Minute Matters campaign by the shocking experience suffered by Fabrice Muamba, whose heart stopped beating for a total of 78 MINUTES after he suffered a cardiac arrest in an FA Cup match at White Hart Lane in 2012. Allardyce explains: “I can still vividly remember what happened to Fabrice a couple of years after I left Bolton.

"Thanks to immediate CPR and defibrillation, Fabrice made a full recovery. But most grassroots football teams don’t have a medical team on site, which is why it’s critical anyone who plays amateur football – at any level – knows how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

“Too many people still think you have to be a medical professional to step in, but that’s simply not true. Anyone can learn these lifesaving skills and if someone collapses, you need to have the confidence to act.

"And that confidence comes from training. That’s why I’m urging everyone in grassroots football to take 15 minutes to learn CPR and defibrillation with the BHF’s brilliant free online tool, RevivR.”

Allardyce was leading a Sky Bet/British Heart Foundation event at Bolton Wanderers’ stadium to promote CPR awareness. It was part of the pioneering Every Minute Matters campaign – a unique partnership between Sky Bet and the BHF and supported by the EFL - which has already successfully inspired over 350,000 people to start learning CPR since the campaign launched in May 2024.