Graeme Souness makes bold NLD claim as Chelsea ‘create a monster’ for Arsenal

Graeme Souness reckons North London derby defeat for Arsenal would end their hopes of the Premier League title.

Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino are all unavailable for the clash with Tottenham on Sunday, leaving Arteta with limited options to play in midfield against their bitter local rivals, while Riccardo Calafiori is also expected to be out.

Rice is suspended after his red card against Brighton, Merino picked up a shoulder injury in his first Arsenal training session and is expected to be out for around six weeks, while Odegaard limped off in Norway’s Nations League win over Austria on Monday.

The playmaker was pictured on crutches as he boarded a flight back to London and the Norway team doctor predicted the 25-year-old would be out for around three weeks, therefore also missing the key clash with Manchester City next weekend, despite avoiding a fracture.

The injury crisis could hardly have come at a worse time for Arteta’s side, who start their Champions League campaign against Atalanta on Thursday before travelling to the Etihad to face Champions Manchester City next Sunday.

Souness, speaking on the Three Up Front podcast , believes the NLD is a must-win game for both sides.

Souness said: “This North London derby is a must-win for both Arsenal and Tottenham so early on this season. You can imagine if Arsenal were to lose, that’d be their hopes of winning the league over already.”

Troy Deeney added: “Arsenal are without Declan Rice and Mikel Merino in midfield on Sunday, which is going to take a massive toll on their squad – this is a must-win game for them. Manchester City don’t look like they’re slowing down, they’re getting better and better. They’ve still got the likes of John Stones to add back into the team – their best players are still yet to come.”

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Souness does though believe Raheem Sterling – who made the deadline switch from Chelsea – is a smart acquisition by Arsenal.

“Giving Raheem Sterling away to Arsenal was bad business from Chelsea,” said Souness. “They’re bringing in all these young players on long contracts and Sterling suddenly becomes surplus to requirements. I think Arsenal now have a fully motivated, angry Sterling with a point to prove.

“I’ve been critical of their spending and the direction of the football club, but I think Chelsea are creating a monster for themselves. These players will go for next-to-nothing, and they’ll have to pay them to go. Jadon Sancho, who they’ve got in to replace him, is not as good – he’s just a name on a team sheet.”

Deeney added: “The addition of Sterling is a massive upside for Arsenal. From a purely footballing point of view, he’s a winner. He knows the style of football needed to win which he learned under Pep Guardiola at Man City.

“Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, who both play on that left hand side, will be looking at the addition of Sterling and think, ‘hold on a second, we need to step up here’. With the greatest respect to Trossard, I don’t think he’s on Sterling’s level. Sterling can also play on that right-hand-side to give Bukayo Saka a break because he tired towards the end of last season.”