In an interview with football.london, Arsenal star Petit compares the current Arsenal team with the 1998 Premier League champions he played for, and talks about the differences in management styles between the two teams and the prospects for the Premier League title race this season.
Petit believes that the current Arsenal team is similar in many ways to the championship team he played for back then. He mentioned, "The two teams are very close in terms of energy, performance and the collective honor of each individual. The team always comes first, I can clearly feel this from the sidelines and their performance on the playing field confirms it."
He also pointed out that the two teams also have similar styles of play, with both favoring possession. "Both Arteta and Wenger like to control the ball and they show the same vision, great runs and passes in the game, which are based on the technical ability of the players and their understanding of each other. They play very naturally and fluidly."
However, Petit also admitted that there are some differences in management between the two teams. He believes that Arteta is tougher on management compared to Wenger. "Wenger treats his players more humanely, which has cost him some management problems. Arteta, on the other hand, is colder and harsher, a bit like Guardiola. These great coaches have won many trophies and titles and there are many similarities between them, but in terms of management, I think it's different."
Speaking about Arsenal's Premier League title prospects this season, Petit said, "They should continue to stick to what they've been doing for the last two or three years because they're on the right path and sooner or later they're going to win some trophies and honors." But he also cautioned that injuries could adversely affect Arsenal's title bid. "Many important players from top teams have now been injured, which is very bad for Arsenal. Of course, Manchester City have also lost a central player in Rodney, and while they have other candidates, they can't fully replace the role that Rodney brings."
Petit also analyzed City's staffing problems: "Last season, City won the title despite the unavailability of Harland and De Bruyne because Guardiola had different staffing options. But I'm not sure there will be an ideal candidate to replace Rodney this time around. They tried to play Stones as an organizational back, which might work against weaker teams, but it's hard to say against stronger teams."
Finally, Petit said that although he thought City were ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race at the start of the season, he has now changed his mind. "There is no doubt that the battle for the Premier League title has drawn to a close."
