Salah’s bold Arsenal claim from August resurfaces after Gunners end Premier League trophy drought | OneFootball

When Mohamed Salah backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title back in August, while his own Liverpool side were splashing a record-breaking sum on new signings, most Arsenal fans slandered him for playing mind games.

Nine months later, the Egyptian King looks like an absolute genius.

Mohamed Salah predicted Arsenal Premier League title win in August

Speaking to Sky Sports at the start of the 25/26 season, Salah made a bold and eyebrow-raising prediction.

Rather than backing the defending champions Liverpool, who had just spent an eye-watering £446 million on a glittering array of new signings including Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, Salah pointed the finger firmly at Arsenal.

“I said it a few times, today and a the PFA awards as well that Arsenal are the favourites because they have team that have been together for five years.

“They understand each other’s game, and they have a manager also in the team for five, six years.

“When the team is stuck together for that long, they know each other’s game — so it becomes easier for them.”

“Other teams like us and Man City changing a lot of players which is sometimes tricky but again with Pep Guardiola, they are always the favourites.

“But, of course my opinion is that this year Arsenal number one”

Salah prediction shows elite football knowledge

At the time, the comments seemed almost generous. Liverpool were the champions. They had just shattered their transfer record.

The expectation across the football world was that Arne Slot’s side, now armed with world-class reinforcements, would be near-impossible to dethrone.

But Salah saw something others didn’t. He identified the one thing money cannot buy overnight: cohesion.

Not only this, he even rather boldly claimed at the PFA awards that Liverpool are not as strong as they were last season despite the reinforcements.

Arsenal’s core had been built patiently under Mikel Arteta over half a decade, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Gabriel forming the spine of one of the most well-drilled units in European football.

His reasoning was not luck, it was pure, elite-level football IQ. The kind of analytical clarity that made Salah one of the greatest players of his generation is evidently not limited to what he produces on the pitch.

Arsenal were confirmed as Premier League champions on Tuesday night after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth, leaving the Gunners with a four-point lead with one game to play.

It ends a 22-year wait for the title and three consecutive second-place finishes.

As for Liverpool? Despite their £446 million summer outlay, the Reds endured a campaign to forget, with Salah himself calling for the side to return to being the “heavy metal” attacking team that opponents fear.

Salah backed Arsenal when almost nobody else did. He was right. He is always right.