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'This team are better'

Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira insists Gunners squad IS good enough to compete for title despite Liverpool humiliation

Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure after the Gunners season went into freefall with a number of players still set to leave

PATRICK VIEIRA has claimed Arsenal ARE capable of winning the league — despite their 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool.

The Gunners continued their fall from grace after losing to Stoke and Liverpool while seeing Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Shkodran Mustafi on the bring of leaving.

 Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure from Arsenal fans after a terrible start to the season
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Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure from Arsenal fans after a terrible start to the seasonCredit: AFP or licensors
 Patrick Vieira claims Arsenal are still good enough to challenge for the title
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Patrick Vieira claims Arsenal are still good enough to challenge for the titleCredit: Reuters

But Gunners legend Vieira — who was part of the Invincible side in 2004 — reckons Arsene Wenger has enough talent to challenge for the title.

New York City boss Vieira told the Daily Mail: "You’re not going to tell me Mesut Ozil is not a leader? You’re not going to tell me Alexis Sanchez is not a leader?

"You’re not going to tell me Petr Cech is not a leader.

"I believe there are different types of leaders on the field. You have the technical leader, you have the vocal one, you have the one who doesn’t talk but shows it in his desire and how he competes.

"I’m more like that: the one who isn’t as vocal as Tony Adams but will show it how he competes on the field.

"And you have the type of leader who will want to take a penalty in the 95th minute — this is part of being a leader as well.

 Arsene Wenger watched his side lose 4-0 against Liverpool at the weekend
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Arsene Wenger watched his side lose 4-0 against Liverpool at the weekendCredit: Rex Features

"There are leaders in the team to challenge and they have the experience to win matches."

Wenger has come under increasing pressure from the fed-up Gunners faithful as their season goes into freefall.

The Frenchman managed Vieira during the Gunners undefeated season but the midfield enforcer refused to compare the current team to when he was captain.

Vieira added: "If you look at Arsenal today I really enjoy watching them play, they play some really good football.

"But that is not enough to win football matches or to win competitions. In our time we were winning and we had the strength to not play well but somehow manage to win the game 1-0.

 Patrick Vieira believes Arsenal have leaders like he was back in the day
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Patrick Vieira believes Arsenal have leaders like he was back in the dayCredit: Getty Images - Getty
 Arsenal's flops were trounced 4-0 in a performance that was labelled disgraceful by pundits
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Arsenal's flops were trounced 4-0 in a performance that was labelled disgraceful by punditsCredit: Getty Images - Getty

"I’m not one to say, 'Our generation was better than this generation'.

"It doesn’t make sense to compare the two generations because we are in a different period.

"The team in our generation were more physical but this generation are better football players, there’s no doubt about that.

"So the balance is what Arsenal need to find. We had the physicality to deal with different situations."


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