Harry Redknapp: Arsenal will be Prem title favourites if they beat Man City – Arteta should follow Inter’s example

THE KEY connection for Arsenal contiguous is simply a elemental one:  Don’t beryllium beaten!

If Mikel Arteta’s boys triumph against Manchester City, they volition beryllium Prem rubric favourites successful galore people’s books.

But aft three points astatine Tottenham and a constituent against Atalanta, a gully would marque it a large week.

I cognize immoderate radical accidental the Gunners not going for the jugular astatine the Etihad past play outgo them the rubric arsenic they fell 2 points short.

But I inactive consciousness it was the decision by Aston Villa a mates of weeks aboriginal that truly did the damage.

No 1 would beryllium complaining astir that gully astatine City had they enactment distant their first-half chances against Villa.

If Arsenal lose, a five-point spread volition unfastened up, though that’s not intolerable to adjacent — determination volition beryllium plentifulness of time.

But this is simply a monolithic game.

It’s a immense stroke for Arsenal to lose Martin Odegaard. He unlocks doors and tin play slayer passes.

It looks similar Kevin De Bruyne is out, too, but City person much spot successful depth. Whoever comes successful volition beryllium a world-class subordinate — I’m not truthful definite Arsenal volition header arsenic good successful the lack of the superb Norwegian.

Let’s look it, KDB was missing for fractional of past play yet City inactive ended up arsenic champions!

Inter Milan did a bully occupation against them successful the Champions League this week — they were hard to interruption down.

Maybe Arteta volition effort to bash the aforesaid and deed City connected the break.

Arsenal’s defence looks strong, particularly centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. But it’s a spot aboriginal to comparison them to Tony Adams, Steve Bould and different large Arsenal defenders of the past. They haven’t won a league title.

And not forgetting Martin Keown arsenic well, George Graham had large options.

Adams was an unbelievable person and talker. They don’t marque ’em similar him and John Terry immoderate more. Two of the large talkers and leaders.

I archetypal saw Tony play,  aged 14, astatine West Ham’s grooming ground.

He bossed his team-mates astir each the time: “Come successful here, propulsion successful there.”

I thought, “Who’s this kid?”. He was specified a captain, specified a leader.

I’d enactment Terry successful the aforesaid category, a existent warrior centre-half who led his squad to large trophies.

The question contiguous is, tin the 2 Arsenal centre-backs header with Erling Haaland, similar they did past season?

Haaland is simply a instrumentality and scoring goals for amusive again — but determination was a spot of borderline betwixt him and Gabriel past time. That could footwear disconnected again.  

Regardless, it would beryllium bully to spot a amended crippled than past time, which was a spot of a bore — ending 0-0.

Let’s anticipation it lives up to its prima billing — adjacent though I’m predicting  a 1-1 draw. But Arteta would beryllium delighted with that.

RAYA REMINDED ME OF JAMO

DAVID RAYA’S double prevention against Atalanta was brilliant.

It was cardinal successful that Champions League clash connected Thursday and Arsenal person a prima successful Raya.

Many accidental Gordon Banks denying Pele’s header astatine the 1970 World Cup is the top halt of each clip but for maine it is David James for my Portsmouth astatine Preston successful the FA Cup 5th circular successful 2008.

Jamo pulled disconnected a occurrence prevention to halt  a punishment and made 2 different cardinal saves earlier we won 1-0 with a precocious extremity earlier going connected to triumph the celebrated aged trophy.

CLOUGHIE MY HAIRO

IT’S hard to judge it’s 20 years since Brian Clough died.

He was conscionable amazing. To triumph 2 European Cups with Forest is beyond belief.

You could beryllium and perceive to stories astir Cloughie each nighttime — and I heard a caller 1 the different nighttime from my aged mate Kevin Bond.

Cloughie came successful for Kevin erstwhile helium was astatine Manchester City and the clubs agreed a fee.

 Kevin    drove to Nottingham to bash the deal, lone to beryllium told by the secretary: “Mr Clough is successful his office, he’ll beryllium retired shortly.”

Kev sat extracurricular for a bully hr earlier Cloughie appeared and barked: “First happening you request to do, young man, is get your bloody hairsbreadth cut.”

And past helium walked off.

Two hours later, Kevin was inactive determination waiting, but Clough ne'er returned.

So Kevin drove backmost to Manchester and that was that!

ROD COULD STRIKE OUT

RODRI says players are adjacent to going connected strike.

But that would beryllium a disastrous determination arsenic it’d nonstop an awful connection to fans who wage their wages.

Stars should beryllium talking to clubs, who could   chopped backmost connected pre-season tours for a start.

But it’s each astir wealth arsenic flying disconnected to the USA, Australia  and China is the worst  mentation for a season.

We’d spell to Devon to play the likes of Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay truthful — marque no  mistake — it’s clubs putting the strain connected the players.