Teddy Sheringham Takes Aim at Arsenal's 'Entitled' Attitude
Manchester United icon Teddy Sheringham has launched a stinging critique of Arsenal's mentality, accusing the Gunners of displaying an "entitled" attitude and showing opponents a lack of respect during their Premier League title pursuit. The former England striker's comments come just days before Arsenal host Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in a crucial Sunday encounter.
Forest Draw Sparks Criticism of Arsenal Mindset
Sheringham's criticism follows Arsenal's recent goalless draw against Nottingham Forest, a result that prevented Mikel Arteta's side from extending their lead at the Premier League summit to nine points. While the point did maintain their advantage after Manchester City and Aston Villa both suffered defeats that weekend, Arsenal players showed visible frustration at full-time, with Declan Rice particularly vocal about his team's performance.
Speaking exclusively to Metro on behalf of BetMGM, Sheringham suggested Arsenal's reaction to the Forest result revealed problematic assumptions about their right to victory. "I think Arsenal might be getting ideas above their station very quickly," Sheringham stated. "Going to Nottingham Forest where Forest have played well and they have come away with a draw, it's not the end of the world."
Sheringham Contrasts Arsenal with Ferguson's United
The former Tottenham and Manchester United forward, who scored crucial goals during United's historic 1999 Treble-winning season, drew direct comparisons between Arsenal's current mindset and the approach of Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary sides. Sheringham emphasised that Ferguson's teams never approached matches with an expectation of automatic victory.
"When I was playing in that great Man United team, we would still go to places and end up losing and there wouldn't be the uproar there has been with Arsenal this week when they have only gone and drawn a game," Sheringham explained. "That sort of entitlement, we never had that. You wouldn't have had that come away from drawing 1-1 with Leicester or something and go, 'that's a disgrace, we should be winning'."
Respect for Opposition Paramount in Title Race
Sheringham argued that Arsenal's apparent assumption of victory demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of Premier League competition. "They are talking as if they are entitled to win every game now," he continued. "They think because you are a good team you are entitled to win games. But you're not. That's not football. That's not the Premier League, you have to make sure that you win every game."
The former striker highlighted the unpredictable nature of English football, noting that "there are going to be teams they come up against that perform very, very well on the day" and that opponents who "take their chances at the right times they are going to get a result against Arsenal."
Sheringham concluded with a pointed message for the Gunners: "You have to respect the opposition as well and I think Arsenal need to do that after last week's result. They had chances to win but didn't take their chances."
Title Pressure Mounts Ahead of Emirates Showdown
Arsenal's quest for their first Premier League title in 22 years faces another significant test against Manchester United this weekend. Sheringham's comments have added psychological intrigue to the encounter, questioning whether Arsenal's perceived entitlement might undermine their championship ambitions. The former United star's perspective offers a veteran's insight into the mental resilience required to sustain a title challenge in England's top division.
