Alan Shearer Exclusive: Cracks are starting to show for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal | OneFootball

Alan Shearer

The pressure is mounting on Arsenal

Alan Shearer returns with his weekly column to discuss the pressure on Arsenal, Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor and the rumours surrounding Woltemade at Newcastle...

Cracks are starting to show for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal

Cracks are starting to show now for Arsenal, and I think because of being 2-0 up and then being pegged back as they were, by the team at the bottom of the Premier League in Wolves, it doesn't look good. I pretty much expected this. I never thought they'd run away with it. Very rarely do teams do that, particularly with teams that haven't won it for a long time like Arsenal.

So, from that point of view, I get it and understand it but that would be a concern, and whether they like it or not, Arsenal probably haven't liked people going on about them bottling it, them chucking it away and the pressure being on them. Well, they won't like what'll happen in the next few days now, because the noise will get a lot louder.

There'll be a lot more of that now because of what happened on Wednesday, and you can imagine how loud it'll be if Tottenham beat them on Sunday as well.

But I think for the neutral, it's brilliant. I think it sets up a title race which is going to be exciting between now and the end of the season, but yeah, you would start to think a bit more that cracks are showing for Arsenal, certainly more than what you did beforehand.

The Premier League title is also still in Arsenal's hands because if they win every game, they win the league. Technically it's in both of their hands and everyone was always going to look to that game, at the Etihad in April. That was always going to be a key game anyway, and it obviously clearly is.

I think I'm right in saying they've only won something like two of their last seven games and that's a massive concern. Having said that, after what happened on Wednesday evening, then I'd be looking to the next game and I would actually love it to be a huge one. That's what they have with it being a North London derby, that's exactly what it is at Tottenham, with them also having a new manager, and you put all that together, then it becomes huge.

I have been in this situation with Blackburn, and know what it's like when people are saying are they going to chuck it away?  I've been in there when we had a lead and were clawed back so I know exactly how they're feeling. I know exactly what the Man City camp will be feeling in terms of they would have watched that game last night, Pep would have watched it and the City players would have watched it and thought 'here we go, it's our time, let's take advantage of that at the weekend.'

City play Newcastle, whose record at City is dreadful, as we know. So yeah, there are still going to be twists and turns in between now and the end of the season. I think there'll be a time where City will be top, and where Arsenal will be top, and I guess it's probably going to come down to that game in April.

I do think Man City's result at Anfield was a game changer in terms of City going for the league, because if they hadn't have got that, it might have been very different. They wouldn't have put so much pressure on Arsenal.

Igor Tudor is in a no-win situation taking the Spurs interim job

This week's North London Derby is massive for different reasons. I mean for Spurs, basically, Igor Tudor has been brought in to steer them away from the relegation zone. Something had to change, something had to give at Spurs, and it has. There probably wasn't a great pool for them to choose from.

I guess Igor Tudor is in a no-win situation, because everyone will say, well, they should get out of trouble because it's Tottenham and they've got a better squad than the teams in and around them, but having said that, they are where they are and if he doesn't keep them in the Premier League, then he will not want relegation with Tottenham on his CV. So, yeah, it's a huge, huge game for both football clubs, for very different reasons.

It's a brilliant game for the manager to start his campaign with Spurs against their rivals Arsenal, especially with Arsenal heading into it off the back of a poor result against Wolves.

What better way would it be for him to start than a win against the rivals, and not only probably steer them clear of relegation, but also maybe even cost Arsenal the title.

I think if there was ever another statue to be built at Newcastle, then it would have to be for Kevin Keegan

I would love it if Kevin Keegan got a statue at St James' Park. I think if there was ever another statue to be built at Newcastle, then it would have to be for Kevin Keegan after what he's done for the football club. I mean, geez, Eddie can't be far away as well.

But what Kevin did for Newcastle, I don't think anything that we're doing now would have been possible if it wasn't for what he did, and the choices that he had, but he then came to Newcastle as a player, he was my hero.

I watched his very first game at Newcastle as an 11 or 12-year-old and then got to work with him, both at Newcastle and with England. So yeah, I'm like every Newcastle fan; a huge, huge, huge fan of Kevin Keegan.

Keegan ranks as one of the greatest Newcastle legends we have ever had

Keegan ranks as one of the biggest modern Newcastle legends we have ever had. I mean, both as a player and a manager, for what he achieved and the football that he played, and some of the players that he bought in.

Of course, he went so close to winning the league with Newcastle and as a player, I mean, it was unbelievable. For him to come and play at Newcastle and do what he did, he was like the Pied Piper, he had hundreds of kids chasing after him and I was one of those kids trying to get his autograph, so it was great to also work with him within Newcastle and England.

If Newcastle are going to get a new stadium it has to be next door to St James' Park

I think what is key, and I sort of said this before, if we are going to get a new stadium, then it has to be right near where it is now, because I think one of the things that makes St. James' Park special is the proximity of where it is, right in the middle of the city centre.

It's unique, it's very different and not all clubs can say that. Newcastle can. So, I think that's the key. If there's going to be a new stadium, then it has to be next door.

It has been a big few weeks for Newcastle, the noise around the club has got quieter

The last three away performances for Newcastle have quietened the noise down. There was a lot of noise wasn't there with Newcastle, Eddie and everything else but you always have the chance to respond and three huge away games, starting with that Tottenham Hotspur one, then followed up with Villa, and then, of course, Qarabag.

Eddie Howe slightly tweaked it, as he had to do with Woltemade playing more as a 10 or a forward midfielder and it worked. Particularly with Anthony Gordon up top, and whoever's been on either side, whether it's been Barnes, Elanga or Murphy.

It worked for them doing that, because the pace that Gordon has is always going to cause teams problems, and that's what's happened. I mean, it was great for Gordon to get his four last night.

So yeah, two big wins away, one in the Cup, one in the league, and then another big win away in the Champions League which will put them through into the round of 16 against Chelsea or Barcelona. So it's been a big two weeks for Newcastle.

I was really impressed that Anthony Gordon refused to give the penalty up for someone else on Wednesday, I would have done the same

I was really impressed that Anthony Gordon refused to give the penalty up for someone else. I'm all over that, I love that.

It happened to me in Bobby Robson's first home game, I'd already scored 4 and we got another penalty. A young lad came up to me and asked me if he could take the penalty, and you don't want to know my response, you can imagine it. I want 4 goals; I want 5 goals. My job is to score goals; it's not my job to be nice to give it to someone else. My job is goals.

And Anthony's job on Wednesday was to score goals, and when he's playing as a centre-forward, and he's the penalty taker, his job is to score the penalties. So why on earth would you even contemplate giving it up to someone else?

I wouldn't believe any of the rumours that Woltemade will leave Newcastle

I wouldn't believe any of that on Woltemade leaving Newcastle. I don't know who it is probably trying to unsettle things again but, he got his goal at Aston Villa, his position in terms of where he's now playing has changed slightly under Eddie, which they had to do, because it's clear that look, he'll do a job in there, but it's not his favoured position, you can tell that. And we've all sort of witnessed that, but he had a good start in terms of goals.

I think the noise will settle down because of how he's playing now, where he's playing now. He looks a better player in that position, he looks more comfortable, more suited to what Eddie's asking him to do. So, no, I wouldn't believe any of that.

I don't expect Man United to keep up this unbeaten run under Carrick

I'd be surprised if they went the rest of the season unbeaten. That's a big ask. I think that's a big ask for anyone, let alone Man United, who have largely struggled this season. But under Michael, we've seen, without doubt, we've seen a difference in energy and attitude and performance, results, everything.

I'd be amazed if they went right throughout the season unbeaten. I'd expect them at some stage to be beaten but, I think the main thing for him is there has been a big improvement and I guess their disappointment at only drawing against West Ham tells you how far they've come in the five games that Michael's had.

They've got to keep on going. As I said, they've got no distractions, they've got no cup competitions, they've just got to concentrate on league football, which might give them a slight advantage over the likes of Aston Villa, who are playing in the Europa League. We'll have to wait and see but I wouldn't expect them to go unbeaten in between now and the end of the season, no.

Hearts still have a brilliant opportunity to win the SPFL

I'm lucky enough to have been to Celtic games, Rangers games, and Celtic v Rangers games.

It's unbelievable, it really is. Glasgow is ferocious in terms of how they support their teams, and their demand to win that title and I think the last time a team outside of Celtic or Rangers won the title was Fergie's time 50-odd years ago so that tells you what an opportunity Hearts have got to go and do it, but I haven't got a clue who'll win it.

Say what you want about the standard of football up there, and it isn't very good this year. Having said that, they've got a great title race on.