Frimpong: Arsenal Lack Title Ambition

• Arsenal's Form
• Gunners Chat
• Premier League Views

Midnite sat down with ex-Arsenal and Premier League midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong, who gave his latest thoughts on the title race after the monster clash between Arsenal and Manchester City.

The 31-year-old played with some great players, but only two Arsenal players from his team make it into the current Gunners' starting XI.

We also talked to the Ghanaian about his former team-mates from all his Premier League clubs he had spells at, recollecting memories from when Mikel Arteta taught him better form in the gym to when he played with Jamie O’Hara at Wolves and has followed his punditry since.

Here's the interview in full.

Arsenal's Form

Q. Was 3-1 to Man City a deserved result?

It was a deserved result for Manchester City, Arsenal gave away two needless goals with Takehiro Tomiyasu's back pass and Gabriel Magalhaes' pass that got caught out and led them to score. The Arsenal players would have woken up thinking they'd given Manchester City the game, considering the Bukayo Saka penalty too. It's heartbreaking, they did play well in patches but Manchester City were too strong and powerful for them.

Q. Does it worry you that the only goal scored in 180 minutes vs City was a penalty?

It doesn't worry me that Arsenal only scored one goal in both games against Manchester City because Arsenal will have players back when we go to the Etihad. Thomas Partey was missed even though Jorginho performed really well. When Partey doesn't play, it's a big difference in how the team play, but let's not take away anything from Manchester City.

They are a top team and much better than Arsenal in terms of player abilities and are much more experienced, it's just a shame Arsenal are no longer top of the table. We Arsenal fans have had a great ride at the top, but we've still got a game in hand. It will be very difficult to reclaim that spot, especially as we have to go to the Etihad.

Q. How do you see the title race now, is there more or less pressure on Arsenal now they’re 2nd?

Once Manchester City are top of the table, it's very tough to win that position back from them. Arsenal had enough chances to win the game but Manchester City took their chances really well. There's no surprise they're back at the top of the table, any Premier League fan would have said Manchester City were going to win the league from the start due to their quality of players.

The last three or four games, Arsenal's standards have really dropped, it was a surprise to see Ben White dropped, he did look a bit tired but Takehiro Tomiyasu came in and made a mistake, it makes you think about whether White should have started in the first place. Arsenal can hold their heads high because no one gave them a chance at the start of the season, every game is very difficult, maybe they can win four or five games on the bounce now and regain their form.

Q. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa away on Saturday, how do you see that game going?

Aston Villa held Manchester City to a draw at Villa Park, so it's going to be very difficult for Arsenal. Since Unai Emery joined, they've become a different side, they're very organised and they play with a lot of spirit. Villa Park is a very different ground to go and play at. If Arsenal have any chance of winning the league, they have to win at Aston Villa, especially as Manchester City's next game is Nottingham Forest.

It will be a very narrow 2-1 win for Arsenal.

Gunners Chat

Q. Who is your favourite player from the current Arsenal team?

I really do like Ben White, he's a centre-back having to play at right back and has not made any fuss about it. White is very professional in the way he plays. He also dresses cool and looks nice, he just looks like a very cool guy, the sort of person you'd want to hang around with. White has been very good this season but he has looked very tired recently, which is understandable because of how much you have to run at right-back.

Q. Did Mikel Arteta ever approach you as a captain while you were in the Arsenal team as a youngster? What advice did he give you?

One thing I remember of Mikel Arteta is he used to give me a lot of advice in the gym. I used to have really bad technique in the gym with things like weights, Arteta would come over and tell me 'don't lean back' and 'hold it like this'.

That's the memory I have of Arteta, he was always wanting to give information out to the players, no matter who it was. Arteta was very vocal and hated to lose, it's no surprise to me that he's gone into management and done really well.

Q. Bukayo Saka or Theo Walcott in his prime, who would you pick to play on the right wing for Arsenal?

I'd take Bukayo Saka over prime Theo Walcott on the right-wing. With Saka, he has more to his game, Walcott was very fast and could score a lot of goals, but Saka has more to his game and his very strong for a small guy. Saka scores goals, assists, takes penalties against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City and he is a great guy too. Technically, Saka is much better than Walcott, as an all-round player, Saka is a better footballer.

Q. The fans are so desperate for success it’s obvious. That’s great when the team is winning and scoring early, but when things are not quite going right they’ve already shown signs of frustration. Do they need to do their bit by not transmitting that worry, desperation and nerves down onto the pitch?

As players, you can't control the emotion of the crowd so you have to give it your all. Arsenal were making some dodgy decisions against Manchester City, especially when they were playing the ball out from the back. It's normal for the fans to moan at the mistakes that gave Manchester City the game, because we usually look very comfortable playing out from the back. Fans can have excitement, anxiety, start moaning and complaining, it's all part of the game. A few weeks ago, Manchester City were getting booed at half-time by their own fans, it's part of the game.

Q. Do you have a combined XI of Arsenal players from this current team and the teams you were in?

I would not even make the reserves for this current team. At the time I was at Arsenal, the players I played with were crazy good and the competition was very strong, with Andrey Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Samir Nasri, Abou Diaby, these were all top-class players and the list goes on.

I would say Robin van Persie and Alex Song get into this current Arsenal team. Van Persie gets in because he's guaranteed to score goals and I would pick Song because his physique alongside Thomas Partey would be frightening for Arsenal in the midfield.

My combined XI

• Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Thomas Partey, Alex Song, Martin Odegaard; Bukayo Saka, Robin van Persie and Gabriel Martinelli.

Q. Eddie Nketiah responded to the pressure at first after Gabriel Jesus got injured, but the last couple of weeks he’s struggled to really make an impact. Are you still backing him to be up to the job of leading the title charge? It’s a lot on young inexperienced shoulders?

Eddie Nketiah has surprised a lot of people and there's no shame in saying that. Nobody expected Nketiah to come in and score the goals he has, you have to remember though, with no disrespect, Nketiah is not a main striker for Arsenal if they want to win the Premier League.

Nketiah is a very good player and I've been very impressed with him, but he still needs time to develop to get to the stage of Gabriel Jesus and the elite levels of Erling Haaland. Nketiah is not the tallest but he's very strong and his link-up play is very good too, but you can't expect him to score every game, even Haaland went three games without scoring. Nketiah was not getting into the box enough against Manchester City for me and has to work on that part of the game, but I wouldn't be surprised if he starts banging in the goals in the next game.

Q. What happens to Folarin Balogun? Could he be better than Nketiah and Jesus in the long term if he’s outscoring Mbappe, Neymar and Messi?

The only time I've watched Folarin Balogun play was against Brentford last season. He did not play well and got taken off after 50/60 minutes. But it shows you whenever an Arsenal player goes to France, they play very well.

William Saliba went there and did really well and now it's Balogun. If you want to play for Arsenal, you have to go on loan and really prove yourself, now Mikel Arteta has to look at him because you can't score that amount of goals in Ligue 1 if you're not a good striker. If Arsenal don't fancy him, then there will be countless clubs that will want to buy him.

Eddie Nketiah has done well and you have to remember that the Premier League is is a tougher league than Ligue 1, so that keeps Nketiah's position as the second striker behind Gabriel Jesus. In football, things can happen very quickly, if Balogun comes back and scores a lot of goals in pre-season, then he can get a spot in the team.

Q. Gary Neville said this Arsenal team will collapse in the title race towards the end of the season and Man City will beat them by 10 points, what do you make of that?

I have to agree with Gary Neville, Arsenal could lose this title by 10 points towards the end of the season. I know we nearly signed Moises Caicedo, but Arsenal needs to sign big name players. We've signed Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior, but we needed three big names players to push this team forward for the title.

The signings we made were not enough, I wish the board showed a bit more ambition because we were in such a great position and we might not get this chance again for a while. It will be very difficult to push Manchester City, especially when they're top of the league like they are now.

With Arsenal lately, this falling off at crucial times has become part of us. We collapsed last year when we were trying to get the top four. This time it's with the title charge, Manchester City is a game that needed a statement and we collapsed, we played well in patches but it was not a typical Arsenal performance. The target may have to be top four because we don't have the ambition to win the league, it's a shame because we had such a great lead. Hopefully this summer we can buy our transfer targets and push this team forward.

Premier League Views

Q. Dwight Yorke recently said Declan Rice is overrated and overpriced because he’s English, do you think he is too?

Yes, I would not say Declan Rice is overrated but I'd definitely say he's overpriced. I think Rice is a very good player and very consistent, but he's in a struggling West Ham team.

Put him in a thriving Arsenal side that is playing very well, you will see a different Rice. He is overpriced, but so is everyone, just look at what Enzo Fernandez went for. I just think it's crazy money for someone like Rice. If he does come to Arsenal, then he definitely has a chance to play at a much higher level, especially in competitions like the Champions League.

Rice is a good player but I would not say he's one of the best midfielders. I would not rate him in the top five defensive midfielders in the Premier League, but that doesn't mean he is not a very good player.

Q. How good could Jack Wilshere have been? Does anyone from the current squad remind you of him?

The only player that reminds me of Jack Wilshere is Martin Odegaard, but the difference is Wilshere was very strong and could tackle very well. Wilshere was also one of the best technical players I have ever played with. Odegaard does not strike me as that physical player that can win lots of tackles, but Wilshere did. An injury-free Jack Wilshere gets into this Arsenal team, no doubt about it, he could play in any midfield position.

Wilshere would take that box-to-box role that Granit Xhaka plays in at the moment, but Xhaka is probably fitter than Wilshere. But Wilshere could do anything and was a terrific player.

Q. Should Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leave Liverpool? Does he still have good years left in him to play at the top of the Premier League?

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been getting a few chances for Liverpool again, when you're given a chance you have to take it in football, especially with Liverpool playing poorly at the moment. Oxlade-Chamberlain had so much potential, but injuries have set him back. He should stay at Liverpool one more season because in football, things can change very quickly. Oxlade-Chamberlain could have a very good pre-season and play well enough to get back in the team, if not then it's probably time to leave and go play regular football for another club.

Q. Do Chelsea need another Micheal Essien in their team? How good would he have been if he was partnered with Enzo Fernandez?

Arsenal have the next Michael Essien in Thomas Partey. Essien was a top-class player, everyone knows who Essien is in Ghana and is a legend of the game. We Ghanaians are very proud of him. Chelsea have gone away from those kinds of players like Essien, the closest player they have is N'Golo Kante. I'm not sure what Chelsea are doing with Kante next season, but bringing in Enzo Fernandez puts a question mark on his position at the club. I can't see a fit Kante sitting on the bench for Chelsea, he needs to be playing, I hope Chelsea don't perform well so Arsenal can confirm a Champions League spot.

Q. Speaking on Enzo Fernandez, if he’s worth £107m, how much would players like Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Jack Wilshere have cost in their prime?

Thierry Henry would be worth four times what Enzo Fernandez was bought for! The amount of money around at the moment is crazy, but you can't blame Enzo or Benfica if people are willing to pay that much money. I can't see Arsenal buying players for £100 million, even if we did have that money.

A fit and injury-free Jack Wilshere is better than Enzo Fernandez, he would be worth close to double the price of Enzo. Wilshere was a great footballer, a very good guy, very funny and a great professional. It's a shame his injuries meant he could not fulfil his potential.

Q. Could you tell Dimitar Berbatov was a classy striker from playing with him at Fulham?

You could tell Dimitar Berbatov was one of those top players that played at Manchester United because of his technique and character. He was quiet but he would crack a joke. I could tell from my time at Fulham that he played at the highest level, he did not need pace because of his unbelievable touch. He was a sublime footballer.

I would rather have prime Robin van Persie over Berbatov. van Persie was the best goalscorer I have ever played with, and to top it all off, he was a very nice guy too. I'd definitely rather have van Persie over Berbatov.

Q. Damien Duff had just left Newcastle and joined Fulham too, how good was he as a player? What was he so good at?

When I played with Damien Duff at Fulham, he was coming to the end of his career. I did not see the things he was doing for the likes of Blackburn Rovers or Chelsea. Duff was a very dedicated player, especially in training and he was very vocal on the pitch. If you look at Duff's career, he has done very well in the Premier League and he is a player that has done the Premier League and Ireland proud because he's one of the best players of my generation of footballers.

Q. What do you make of your former Wolves teammate, Jamie O’Hara? He’s known to say some controversial things, recently saying Tottenham should get rid of Conte, do you agree?

Jamie O'Hara knows me very well, he's a very funny guy and we got on very well. We got on because we played in the midfield together. O'Hara has always been a very controversial guy, and the job he does now, he needs to be very open with his opinions.

I do follow his career closely and I think he is doing very well. I can understand why O'Hara thinks Antonio Conte should leave because Tottenham have good players but don't play any exciting footballer. Away from home, they're defending from start to finish. Fans like O'Hara wants to see exciting football and any person that loves football will be frustrated from Tottenham's performances. If Tottenham do sack Conte, who do they bring in? They need to wait and see how the season plans out.

Q. Should Arsenal sign Harry Kane?

Should Arsenal sign Harry Kane? Why not? My interest is for Arsenal to win trophies and improve. I would not care if a player played for Tottenham or Chelsea, if he's going to improve Arsenal and make us a better team, I will have Kane. I'll go to his and drive him to Arsenal myself! Kane has been the best striker in the Premier League for the last four or five seasons and he seems like a top professional.

Kane is one of my favourite players to watch, he's been very loyal to Tottenham and I'd hope when the time comes, Tottenham will be loyal to him. I don't think Daniel Levy would sell Kane to Arsenal and Tottenham fans would never forgive him, you'd make Arsenal a lot stronger and lose your best player.

Q. Can you understand why some of your former teammates, like Bacary Sagna, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy left to play for Manchester City? Has that changed now?

I can understand why the likes of Bacary Sagna, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy left Arsenal to join Manchester City, they would gain financially and win trophies. We all know Manchester City pay higher wages than Arsenal, it's a fact, but they also went there to win games and trophies. I don't blame them for doing it because I would have done the same. If I'm being underpaid and get offered to go somewhere for more money, I'd definitely go there. But Arsenal are playing higher wages now, I wish they did that a few seasons ago.