Former Arsenal star Pascal Cygan has conceded that the Gunners lack the experience to truly compete with the top teams in the Premier League.

Arsenal are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Napoli in the first leg of their two-legged tie at the Emirates Stadium tonight.




The Gunners are also very much in the race to finish in the top four and are just a point behind their local rivals and fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League table.

However, they have never looked like threatening to be in the title race, along with Liverpool and Manchester City and Cygan admits that he never expected the Gunners to.
 


He believes Arsenal have a very young squad and the lack of experience will always go against them in the big games.

The former Gunner feels Manchester City and Liverpool are way ahead of Arsenal in terms of the development of their squad and therefore, the Gunners were never in the running.
 

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Cygan told Italian outlet Tutto Mercato: “The squad are made up of many young players.

“It is a positive factor but it represents an obstacle for the decisive victories.

“The Premier League, like any other league, is like a marathon.

"It is not easy to excel when you lack experience.

“Teams like Manchester City and Liverpool have been on an important project for some time, they are ahead in growth and development of their squads.

“And it is normal for Arsenal to be behind them in the league table.”