Michael Owen says something about Arsenal for the first time in 10 years

Michael Owen has explained that ‘it took a lot’ to say Arsenal are no longer a soft touch. as he told MatchDay extra on Premier League Productions.

The former England striker added that Arsenal have had “many false dawns” over the years but that is no longer the case.

The Gunners clinched a 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime, days after losing to Liverpool at home.

Mikel Arteta’s side were dominant throughout the game, but in the final moments Philippe Coutinho was over a free-kick that could have ended differently.

But this Arsenal side came through to secure a well-deserved but hard-working three points and Owen is impressed with what he’s seeing.

“They force teams into submission,” Owen said. “They defend well. They are sturdy. You can 1-0.

“They’re not as soft as they were not too long ago. It took me a long time to say that because there have been a lot of false dawns at Arsenal over the past decade.

“But I really think they’re made out of heavier stuff these days. It’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal fan now because there’s a lot of potential there.”

Losing to Liverpool would have hurt Arsenal but at the end of the day it’s not their fight.

They recently beat Wolves in the Champions League race both home and away and now they have Manchester United and Tottenham ahead of them.

That’s the real fight Arteta and his players have to face because if they can pull it off they should secure fourth place.

A few final hurdles remain for the Gunners but one thing is certain, things are changing for this young and ever-improving Arsenal side.

In other news, Liverpool and Newcastle suffer a titanic blow for the “phenomenal” £29million superstar