The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Blues’ title to lose, concedes Arsenal manager Wenger
ARSENE WENGER believes the Premier League title is "Chelsea's to lose" and the Arsenal manager is ready to salute Antonio Conte's men should they surpass the Gunners' record of 14 consecutive top-flight victories.
Chelsea lie six points clear of the field, nine ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, and will strengthen their position further if they extend their club record winning streak to 13 by beating Stoke City on Saturday.
"At the moment Chelsea are the superfavourites (for the title)," Wenger told a news conference on Friday. "But it is theirs to lose as we say here in England. "At the moment they have won it but they can still lose it. It's still a long way to go and so the head-to-head (matches) will have a vital importance."
If Chelsea win their next three matches against Stoke, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City they will surpass the record of consecutive top-flight wins set by Wenger's team stretching across the 2001-02 and 200203 seasons. "If they do it, it's absolutely marvellous because nobody expected that," Wenger said. "At the start of the season, they had a little bit of a dodgy start, but after, since they've changed their system, they are on a run where the confidence plays a big part. Records are there to be beaten and if somebody does better than you, you have to acknowledge it and say 'well done'."
Wenger's side were the last to beat Chelsea in the league, thrashing them 3-0 in September,ahumblingreversethatprompted Conte to change his formation. They have not looked back since.
"They have addressed their problems well. Number of goals Zlatan Ibrahimovic will score in 2016 if he finds the back of the net against Middlesborough on Saturday. In doing so, he will equal the best tally of the year recorded in Europe’s top 5 leagues
You have to give credit to Conte to find a solution that has balanced well his team," Wenger said. "They bought David Luiz who stabilised their defensive record and I think overall they are the team that has been the most consistent until now." Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has recovered from a hamstring injury for the London derby against Crystal Palace but winger Theo Walcott and left back Kieran Gibbs will miss Sunday's Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Gibbs injured his knee in Monday's win over West Bromwich Albion and Walcott remains sidelined with a calf problem. Wenger provided a positive update on striker Danny Welbeck's return to fitness following a longterm injury. "Welbeck is fit and sharp. He is in training and he looks quite good," Wenger said.
Zlatan eyes record
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on the brink of another notable scoring landmark in his remarkable career and believes his goal glut can still propel Manchester United to the Premier League title. If the Swede scores against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Saturday, he will have netted 51 goals in the calendar year, equalling the best tally of 2016 recorded by any striker in Europe's top five leagues.
In his current searing form, few would rule out the prospect of this seemingly ageless figure netting the double that would take him past Barcelona's Argentine maestro Lionel Messi as the year's top marksman.
For, at 35, he appears to be playing as brilliantlyaseverandissavouringhisenglishfootball experience, a journey that started shakily but has gathered momentum as he has acclimatised to the hectic world of the Premier League. Being the perfectionist he is, though, Ibrahimovic wants his goals to propel United nearer to the summit as they currently lie sixth, 13 points off the pace set by Chelsea.
"I'm happy, but I could be happier," Ibrahimovic said in an interview with ESPN.
Asked if United could still win the title, he said: "I think so...we had our moments where the results haven't been what they should have been after good performances, but we are still there and we have been closing the gap. "So, hopefully, the other teams can do some mistakes and close the gap even more. We are working hard for it, believing in it, we are here to win. We have no excuses, we are here for what we are able to do and that's win a title."