Scholes casts doubt on Arsenal’s legacy status
Even with Arsenal close to their first Premier League title since 2004, Paul Scholes has questioned whether Mikel Arteta’s side will be remembered among the great English champions.
Key Highlights
- Paul Scholes questions whether Arsenal will be remembered as “great champions” despite title charge
- Labels parts of Arsenal’s possession-heavy style as “boring” and overly cautious
- Points out lack of wins against top rivals like Manchester City and Liverpool
- Acknowledges Arsenal’s strong season but says big-game record limits their legacy
- Arsenal still chasing Premier League glory and Champions League final success
“Boring” football label and style concerns
The former Manchester United midfielder, a 11-time Premier League winner under Sir Alex Ferguson, believes the current team lacks the standout quality associated with historic title-winning sides. Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Scholes said: "I don’t think they’re the best champions we’ll ever see. I don’t think we’ll talk about this team in years to come like great United teams."
Arsenal’s structured, possession-based approach has earned them results, but Scholes admitted he finds their style less exciting compared to the attacking teams he played in during his career at United.
Criticising their build-up play, he said: "You can win in all different ways, I’m just trying to say, they’re not a team I’d turn on and watch all the time. We’ve seen [David] Raya and the centre-halves just playing and playing. It’s been boring."
Big-game record raises questions
While Arsenal have been more consistent than Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United this season, Scholes argued their record in key clashes weakens their claim to greatness.
He added: "You don’t always have to beat the top teams - they’ve not beat City and Liverpool, the best teams for the last four, five, six years. That’s why I don’t think people will speak about them being a great team. I know you can get away with not winning those games, of course you can, but to be a great team, you’ve got to go and beat these teams. They won’t have beaten City, won’t have beaten Liverpool, United beat them."
Despite this, Arsenal remain in control of their title push and are also preparing for a Champions League final against PSG in Budapest on May 30, giving them a chance to silence critics.
