West Ham manager Sam Allardyce ‘surprised by Arsenal’s dip’ this year

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce Photo: Back Page Images

Sam Allardyce admits he has been surprised by Arsenal’s dip this year.

The Gunners’s Premier League title challenge has faded away in recent months, and the north London side dropped out of the top four following Everton’s 1-0 win at Sunderland.

I really fancied that they would go right to the end

Sam Allardyce

Allardyce revealed that he fancied the Gunners to win the Premier League title and pointed to the injury crisis at the FA Cup finalists in recent months.

“I have been surprised by Arsenal’s dip this year,” Allardyce said.

“I really fancied that they would go right to the end. We’ve seen a decline in Arsenal and an increase and uplift in Liverpool.

“Look at his injury list and you can see why – there is no doubt about that.

“Even though they have top players, the amount of players who have been missing recently has disrupted the squad and the flow of the team. The injuries have had an affect.”