New Football Pools pundit Alan Hansen talks exclusively to Goal.com about the contrasting changes in Liverpool and Arsenal this season, and the threat posed to the Gunners by Aston Villa.
Alan Hansen was a colossus on the pitch for Liverpool and Scotland, becoming a true Anfield legend and collecting a host of medals in a glittering playing career. And since hanging up his boots he's become a giant of football punditry too, renowned for his forthright views and analyses which are eagerly anticipated by millions of viewers of BBC TV's 'Match of the Day' every week.
Hansen gave Goal.com his take on how the battle for dominance is shaping up at the top of the Premier League, where his former club Liverpool continue to lead the way.
"I’ve been asked numerous times recently whether Liverpool have now gained a psychological edge over their title rivals due to their record of just one League defeat all season. Well for me, I cannot see Chelsea or Manchester United just fading away so I don’t think Liverpool’s form will affect them," he said. "However, for Rafa Benitez and his players, the psychological boost of being top despite some indifferent results will be immense.
"The main difference in Liverpool this season is they’ve looked far more solid than they’ve done for a number of years. The effect on the opposition this season is key to their form - no longer are they a team that teams fancy their chances of beating, they now know they are in for a real tough game. Liverpool are now extremely hard to beat.
"Whilst Liverpool have grown in stature this season Arsenal have gone the other way. The Gunners remain the best footballing side in the Premier League and at times are simply irresistible to watch, however, they are also easier to beat than the other 'Big Four' sides. This is perfectly illustrated by the teams they’ve lost to this season and the amount of games they’ve lost compared to their rivals. Despite this, they remain in the FA Cup and Champions League so are hardly in crisis.
"The main threat to their qualification for next season’s premier European competition is Aston Villa, and if the Villans were to overtake them this season then this would be a huge backwards step for Arsenal as the finances lost would be immense.
"Martin O’Neill has done a fantastic job at Villa and his side has gained both momentum and impetus even when not performing well. They’ve been winning when not playing at the top of their game which is a sign of a good side. Martin has created a young team full of pace and if they were to qualify for next season’s Champions League it would be an unreal achievement. However, for me, to break into the top four would take qualification over a number of years into the Champions League as well as making it through to the knock-out stages to cement their position."
Alan Hansen was a colossus on the pitch for Liverpool and Scotland, becoming a true Anfield legend and collecting a host of medals in a glittering playing career. And since hanging up his boots he's become a giant of football punditry too, renowned for his forthright views and analyses which are eagerly anticipated by millions of viewers of BBC TV's 'Match of the Day' every week.
Hansen gave Goal.com his take on how the battle for dominance is shaping up at the top of the Premier League, where his former club Liverpool continue to lead the way.
"I’ve been asked numerous times recently whether Liverpool have now gained a psychological edge over their title rivals due to their record of just one League defeat all season. Well for me, I cannot see Chelsea or Manchester United just fading away so I don’t think Liverpool’s form will affect them," he said. "However, for Rafa Benitez and his players, the psychological boost of being top despite some indifferent results will be immense.
"The main difference in Liverpool this season is they’ve looked far more solid than they’ve done for a number of years. The effect on the opposition this season is key to their form - no longer are they a team that teams fancy their chances of beating, they now know they are in for a real tough game. Liverpool are now extremely hard to beat.
"Whilst Liverpool have grown in stature this season Arsenal have gone the other way. The Gunners remain the best footballing side in the Premier League and at times are simply irresistible to watch, however, they are also easier to beat than the other 'Big Four' sides. This is perfectly illustrated by the teams they’ve lost to this season and the amount of games they’ve lost compared to their rivals. Despite this, they remain in the FA Cup and Champions League so are hardly in crisis.
"The main threat to their qualification for next season’s premier European competition is Aston Villa, and if the Villans were to overtake them this season then this would be a huge backwards step for Arsenal as the finances lost would be immense.
"Martin O’Neill has done a fantastic job at Villa and his side has gained both momentum and impetus even when not performing well. They’ve been winning when not playing at the top of their game which is a sign of a good side. Martin has created a young team full of pace and if they were to qualify for next season’s Champions League it would be an unreal achievement. However, for me, to break into the top four would take qualification over a number of years into the Champions League as well as making it through to the knock-out stages to cement their position."
No comments:
Post a Comment