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Gunners legend bemoans reason behind Arsenal trailing Liverpool in the title race

Ash Rose
Gunners legend bemoans reason behind Arsenal trailing Liverpool in the title racePA

Nigel Winterburn has blamed Arsenal's injury record this season for hampering their bid for the Premier League title. 

The Gunners are six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table, having played a game more than their rivals, but remain the leader's biggest challengers. 

Yet, Mikel Arteta's men have had to endure long periods of the season without key men, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and now Gabriel Jesus all missing chunks of the campaign through injury. 

Speaking exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to William Hill Vegas, Winterburn believes the injuries suffered this season in unlike he's ever seen at the club. 

"It's been unprecedented injuries for Arsenal this season," the legendry left-back said. 

"There are two or three clubs you probably could look at at the same. I've never seen anything like it in terms of injuries, the amount of time the players are out.

"We're having to shuffle the team around, we're now down to the minimum I would say.  You can see that when you try to bring players off the bench and make a difference.  With a fully fit squad, players off the bench make a huge difference.

"We are struggling with long-term injuries or have been with long-term injuries as well. So I think we've done great to be second at this moment in time."

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Despite those injury woes, Winterburn expects his former side to push Liverpool all the way, even if he concedes that the title looks to be heading to Merseyside. 

Adding: "Yes, we have an outside chance.  Liverpool are favourites, I think they're strong favourites. But the one thing we've got to try and do is push them right through to the end of the season. So your belief has to be as a player that you can continue to try and do that.

"I think Arsenal will be there. Whether they can go on a run of not dropping many points and Liverpool start to slip is so hard to try and predict.  Liverpool are looking so strong at the moment and I would suggest that they should go on and win the title.

"But it doesn't mean they will.  If they make a couple of slip-ups in quick succession, then really, Arsenal need to try and be the team that's there to at least apply some pressure to them."

 

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