Former Watford skipper Troy Deeney expects Arsenal to drop out of the Premier League title race and eventually finish the season in third place.
The Gunners have enjoyed their best ever start to a top flight campaign and sit seven points clear of champions Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side will battle City on 15 February at the Etihad Stadium – a fixture originally set to take place in September but was postponed following the death of the Queen.
Deeney, who has had his share of run-ins with Arsenal over the years after his infamous ‘cojones’ remark in 2017, is confident however City will cut the gap.
He also believes that when that does happen, Arsenal will begin to feel the pressure and crumble.
“Buying new players to bolster their squad is all well and good, but it is about bringing in new players and maintaining the consistency they have had so far this season,” Deeney wrote for The Sun.
“They don’t need too many additions, but if they do sign someone else, how does that dynamic change things? They have a happy squad, and you need to keep it that way.
“There is a growing expectation that Arsenal really can do it the longer they are top, and if they come out of the next month unscathed, I will start believing.
“But I just wonder that if City catch them, and I believe they can, will Arsenal recover from it? I actually feel they will finish as low as third come the end of the season.”
On Saturday Arsenal held off a resolute Brighton and Hove Albion side 4-2 at the Amex to maintain their stronghold at the top.
The Gunners raced to a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah before Gabriel Martinelli added the fourth.
On their part, City were forced to a 1-1 draw by Everton at the Etihad.
