“Not confident” - Emmanuel Petit highlights 3 reasons why Arsenal can still beat Liverpool to Premier League title despite draw with Aston Villa

Arsenal great Emmanuel Petit has revealed why he believes the Gunners still have a chance of beating Liverpool to the Premier League title this season. With over half the season concluded, Arsenal are six points behind the leaders (the Reds) despite having played an extra game.

On Saturday (January 18), Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 to keep their place atop the standings. However, Mikel Arteta's side conceded two goals to surrender a 2-0 lead at home, dropping two points against Aston Villa, as the game ended in a draw.

Despite seeing Arsenal drop points against Villa, Petit shared why he thinks they have a shot at winning the league this season. The Frenchman pointed out that Liverpool have defensive frailties and that the Gunners will have Bukayo Saka (out with a hamstring injury) back soon for the remainder of the season.

Emmanuel Petit made the points when asked about the side's chances on Sky Sports. He also pointed out that Arsenal had fewer competitions to worry about.

"Yes – and I’ll tell you why. Liverpool and other teams are dealing with so many competitions. Arsenal, they have so many injuries, but they are going to be back soon. They are top players as well, so they are going to be fresh. They are out, almost, of the two national cups, so they can concentrate on the Champions League and Premier League," Petit said (via Metro).

"Liverpool are not doing that well in the last few weeks. They are conceding goals all the time and they are not confident. Saka is coming back soon and the [January] market is not over yet as well," he added.

On January 12, Arsenal lost 5-3 on penalties to Manchester United to crash out of the FA Cup. They also have a 2-0 deficit to make up in the semi-final of the League Cup, having lost at home to Newcastle United on January 7. These results could allow them to focus on the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners came close to winning the title in the last two seasons, narrowly missing out to Manchester City on both occasions. With Pep Guardiola's side struggling this season, Arsenal will hope they can take advantage and go all the way in the league.

Arsenal drop points in league meeting with Aston Villa

For the second successive season, the Gunners dropped points in front of their fans against Unai Emery's Aston Villa in a game that could have far-reaching consequences on the title race. The Gunners played out a 2-2 draw against Villa to remain six points adrift of Liverpool.

Having seen the Reds win at Brentford earlier in the day, Mikel Arteta's side appeared set to follow suit as they went ahead through Gabriel Martinelli after 35 minutes. They doubled their advantage 20 minutes later when Kai Havertz turned home a cross from Leandro Trossard from inside the box.

Aston Villa began their fightback in the 60th minute as Youri Tielemans scored a fine header. They were not to be denied an equalizer eight minutes later, as Ollie Watkins found the back of the net. The Gunners thought Havertz had scored a late winner, only for the VAR to intervene and disallow the goal due to a handball.