"I'm happy for them to win it" - Robin van Persie backs Arsenal to win Premier League this season

Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has backed the Gunners to win the Premier League this season.

The north London side have been phenomenal this season, losing just three of 28 league games. They hold an eight-point lead over City, who have a game in hand.

Van Persie, who spent eight years at the Emirates, reckons Arsenal could go on to win the title, which will be their first since 2004. He told Sky Sports:

"If you look at this period of time, this is where every single point really counts. They've got (had) a couple of difficult games. They got the three points there, so that is what a champion's team is made of. They've been proving that. But the last stretch is always the difficult one, so it'll be interesting to see."

He added:

"My personal feeling is that they will go for it - that they will win the league. It's been a while, so I'm happy for them to win it."

The Gunners have some big games remaining against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City. However, with City involved in three competitions, the Gunners have only competition to focus on and will look to maintain a consistent run till the end of the season.

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Former Arsenal defender urges club to tie Bukayo Saka to long-term contract

Bukayo Saka has been excellent for the Gunners this season, scoring 13 goals and providing ten assists in 38 games across competitions. He has been one of the key players under Mikel Arteta, but his contract expires in the summer of 2024.

Former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure believes the club should tie Saka down to a ten-year contract. He said (via GOAL):

“One thing I have to say - my advice to Arsenal is for Bukayo Saka to sign for 10 years! One mistake that Arsenal made down the years, they had key players that loved the club, and they let them go. You must keep those players because these players are the players that are going to lead the team for you."

He added:

"These are the players you can rely on; these are the players that when it's tough, they will put their bodies on the line because they love the club. You have two types of players: players that love the club and players who just come and go. You need players who love the club because these are players who are going to fight with their heart.”

Saka has contributed 36 goals and 39 assists in 169 appearances for the north London side.