In an exclusive interview with TopOffshoreSportsBooks.com, World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit previews a return to Premier League action after the international break.

In a wide ranging interview, the ex-Premier League star slammed Bruno Fernandes and claims senior players have let Erik ten Hag down. Petit also describes the North London Derby as a must-win clash for injury hit Arsenal.

Full Transcript

Question: On the pressure mounting on Didier Deschamps in France

Emmanuel Petit: “Didier Deschamps has been under a tremendous amount of pressure since the European Championships. A lot of the fans and the media were very unhappy with France’s tournament, and people have started to ask questions about him in the press and on social networks. 

Loads of people want him to walk away from the national team. The general vibe in France around him is, “Thank you for everything. You’re the best manager in French football history, but it’s time for a change.”

After the defeat to Italy, those noises only increased, but maybe the tone of the message isn’t as friendly anymore. Now, all you have to do is look on social media or read and watch the news, and people are clear. It’s time to go. 

It’s turning into a war, Deschamps’ relationship with the press. His response to criticism hasn’t been positive, and it looks like all of the questions from the media are really starting to wear him down. He used to have a perfect handle on the media, but that’s changed. You can see that he is nervous now, he’s in a position where he has to defend and justify his decisions as a manager, which is new territory for him.” 

Q: Results have been poor

Emmanuel Petit: “The win against Belgium will give him more time. He rotated his squad a bit, the likes of Mbappe were on the bench so it was a good win, even though people expected them to win.

Losing to Italy is a big deal, because the team that beat France is not a great Italian side. It’s been made bigger because France’s performances have been poor over the last twelve months. Italy have been struggling for the last couple of years, and after scoring the opening goal in the first minute, you don’t expect to see France lose 1-3.” 

Q: Zinedine Zidane rumours

Emmanuel Petit: “It’s been the same story in France for the last four years about Zidane. The conversation about him managing the national team is constant, and it gets louder after poor results. 

There are a number of journalists and pundits that won’t stop talking about him. Of course, when France were winning tournaments, the discussion was quiet, but we haven’t delivered in the last three major tournaments. 

The president of the French Football Federation backed Deschamps to continue within hours of France being eliminated at the European Championships. He has that support and a contract until 2026. He is the most successful French manager in football history. I think he’s confident that he will continue, but there is no denying that Zinedine Zidane is a shadow that hovers over the national team. 

Zidane has never spoken about the job. He keeps his counsel and is waiting for the moment. The people that are speaking about Zidane are his friends, former teammates who are now pundits, they are the ones who are pushing for him. There can be no doubt that Zidane will manage France one day. It is only a matter of time, and when Deschamps leaves, Zidane will take the job.” 

Q: Arsenal’s new signing Calafiori put in a good performance before going off in Italy’s win in Paris. Is he now ready to start his first game for Arsenal? 

Emmanuel Petit: “I’ve been following Calafiori when he was playing for Bologna, and of course we got to see him at the European Championship. I was not surprised at all with his performance against France, he was superb before he got injured. 

I don’t know him personally, but as far as I’m concerned, everything I’ve been told about him, he’s a very nice guy, educated and has an ambition to be the best. He brings value to Arsenal both as a player and as a person. 

I like his versatility, but what I like the most about him is his mentality. He never gives up, and he always gives 100%. He will bring a lot of energy to the Arsenal team, and I like his ability to move into different positions with and without the ball. I can’t find a reason to suggest he won’t be successful at Arsenal.”

Q: Sandro Tonali also impressed. From what you’ve seen of him, does he look like a player that is eager to make up for lost time after spending almost a year on the sidelines?

Emmanuel Petit: “Sandro Tonali doesn’t have a choice. He needs to start delivering on the pitch and he needs to put in good performances after his ban from playing football, for breaking the rules. 

It’s time for Tonali to pay back his country, pay back his club, Newcastle, and to pay back the fans. He needs to repay the faith of his teammates as well. This is non-negotiable and is the only way he can move forward. 

When Tonali looks at himself in the mirror, he should feel ashamed about what he did. He knows that it was wrong. He’s an intelligent player and person, and the only way he can find his redemption is by delivering on the football pitch. 

Newcastle have been amazing with him. The club and the manager have stuck by him, they’ve shown so much faith to him, now he needs to return it on the grass. He will be under pressure, of course, because everyone is looking at him. 

He shouldn’t need any extra motivation to showcase his talent as a footballer.” 

Q: The nominations are in for the Ballon d’Or. You’ve mentioned that Rodri should pick it up this year – do you think he has a chance? 

Emmanuel Petit: “I love Rodri. I think he is such a fantastic midfielder who has had an unbelievable year. In fact, if you look at the medals he’s won since he joined Manchester City, he could be the most decorated footballer in the world. 

Would the Ballon d’Or be the individual reward to mark his achievements? It would, but he will have a bit of competition on his hands from Vinicius JR. For me, those are the two players that are leading the charge. One of them will win it this year.” 

Q: There were a number of Arsenal players on the shortlist. William Saliba, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka – does their nominations highlight the progress that Arsenal have made over the last few years and can Mikel Arteta have a sense of pride that four of his players are on the list. 

Emmanuel Petit: “Do you know how difficult it is for a manager and his staff to improve individuals? It’s the hardest job in football. That is why you have to give credit to Mikel Arteta and his staff, because since he has been at Arsenal, he has improved so many players. 

The first two or three years were difficult for him. It took him some time to get his vision and philosophy into the club and into the dressing room. Arsenal was drifting, and he gave them direction. The last two or three seasons, the improvement has been amazing. The team has got better, of course new players have come in and helped, but he has also improved individuals. 

When Arteta arrived, he took a massive gamble with Saliba. He didn’t want him at the beginning and sent him away on two loans, and the second at Marseille was very successful. It looks like a genius move now, but it was a risk. He wanted Saliba to show he was ready to play for a big club and, when he came back from that spell, he demanded that he fight for the opportunity to play at Arsenal. He rose to the challenge. Now, he’s one of the first names on the Arsenal and French team. He’s developed into one of the best central defenders in the world.

Saliba isn’t the only one (there are so many individuals that have improved). Saka keeps getting better and better. Think about what happened to him at the European Championships in 2021 and look at how he came back from that. He showed unbelievable maturity and strength of character. 

Kai Havertz has been sensational since he joined Arsenal. He was a shadow of the player that we know he can be, and, step-by-step, he’s becoming a very important player for Arsenal. Arteta should be proud that so many of his players are on the Ballon d’Or shortlist. He’s a brilliant coach.”

Q: Kobie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are on the shortlist for the Kopa Trophy (best young players). Would you give either of them a chance of winning the trophy? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Kobie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are two great young prospects. These are the players that have been putting in the best performances for Manchester United, outshining their senior colleagues. 

I like the players, but they have no chance of winning this trophy. They can forget all about it. Lamine Yamal is the one. Oh my, what a player. He has had an amazing year, and he had an outstanding international tournament for Spain. I was blown away by his maturity at the competition. The way that he took responsibility, the way that he played, he was sensational. 

If Yamal is on the list, there can only be one winner. I’m sorry guys, but you have no chance.” 

Q: Which Premier League club made the signing of the transfer window? 

Emmanuel Petit: “There are two players that have had brilliant starts for their new clubs this season, and they are Amadou Onana at Aston Villa and Savinho at Manchester City. 

Onana had to step-up a level from Everton, and he is replacing Douglas Luiz, who was excellent for Aston Villa. His performances have eased any concerns the Aston Villa fans may have had about Luiz leaving the club. 

I think it was a bit of a gamble to bring him in. Everton were not very good last season, and he joined with a huge price tag, but from the first game, he has been amazing. 

Savinho has really stood out for me. It’s a shame that he’s injured at the moment, but I really like the way that he has slotted into Manchester City’s team. 

He’s made a huge impression already. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do in his debut season and seeing him develop under Pep Guardiola. 

He reminds me of Ryiad Mahrez. Technically he is like him, but also with his decision-making.  He always make the right decision and he’s very intelligent in terms of his movement. The way he controls the ball, every time he runs with it, it’s amazing.”

Q: Erik ten Hag is under an awful lot of pressure, but should he get some credit for the role he has played in giving youngsters like Mainoo and Garnacho a chance? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Erik ten Hag absolutely deserves credit for giving younger players an opportunity. You cannot say that everything Erik ten Hag has done so far has been bad. Definitely not.

Ten Hag is not the only one responsible for the situation at Manchester United. He has tried to do his best in a difficult environment at Manchester United.

I think he should be very upset about the behaviour of some of his senior players, and I think he has tried to add some discipline to the club. We’ve seen that in his management.

It’s a pity that the youngest players have to set the right example on the pitch. I want to see senior players taking some responsibility. We’re talking about some players that have won absolutely everything in the game; huge, huge medals, and they’re giving him nothing. 

Ten Hag has made mistakes, of course he has, but he’s been let down by some very experienced players far too often.” 

Q: On ten Hag, the pressure is seriously mounting. Do you think he looks like a dead man walking? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Erik ten Hag has been a dead man walking for the last sixteen months. In every single game, he’s fighting for his managerial life!

He knows the situation, he knows the environment, and he knows the pressure he’s under when you’re the manager of Manchester United. Every single week he is bashed by former Manchester United players on the TV and radio. Some of the fans back him, some of them don’t. 

He won’t be pleased with the way the season has started for him. He knows that everyone is expecting more from him and his team. I look at the United squad, the first eleven, and there is absolutely no balance to it. They are missing several top players in very important positions. 

Whoever has overseen the recruitment at the club since he went in there needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. I know that Ten Hag is involved, but I don’t think he is the only one. The players that Manchester United have signed are not good enough; they have wasted so much money on bad players. 

The truth is the club have been making mistakes for years now. All of the problems at Manchester United are not down to Erik ten Hag, but he will have to admit that his tactics have been poor. Against Liverpool, the Manchester United defence had more holes in it than Swiss cheese! 

Ten Hag has to take some of the blame, but I’m looking at these players, I was a player, so I know what’s going on here, and there are far too many senior pros that are hiding at Manchester United. It’s easy for these guys to hide behind the manager after a bad performance, and, sometimes, you must look at yourself.

When I look at some of these players, I’m thinking, where have they been for the last two seasons?

Marcus Rashford, he must work on his mind; his emotions. Every time he receives a kick or takes a knock, he doesn’t recover. He doesn’t respond, and he’s not the only player that doesn’t respond in the right way to moments of adversity at the football club.

The problems at Manchester United are not down to Erik ten Hag solely.” 

Q: On Bruno Fernandes

Emmanuel Petit: “For me, Bruno Fernandes is a player that highlights the problems at Manchester United. He’s a good player, but most of the time, I don’t like the way he behaves on the pitch. He acts like a diva. He doesn’t help or encourage his teammates when the chips are down. 

When Manchester United are suffering, he’s always crying; always showing his disappointment. That is not what you expect from your captain. You’re expecting more encouragement, leadership. Someone that brings positivity. 

When you’ve got a guy like Bruno at the top of your club, a player that is supposed to be the leader of the club on and off the pitch, and he acts the way that he does, that is going to have a knock-on effect on players that can’t be good. 

He wouldn’t be my first choice as captain, but that’s also a problem. I’m looking at the squad and I can’t see any leaders. 

United’s best players have been the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobie Mainoo. 

It would be a bold move, but If I’m ten Hag, maybe I would make a strong decision and appoint the future of the club as my captain. Mainoo is young, but he’s English. He’s establishing himself in the national team. He’s the pride of the fans at Old Trafford. 

Maybe Erik ten Hag needs to make a statement to his underperforming players and fight that says I’m ready to fight with those who are ready to fight with me.” 

Q: Manchester United signed Ugarte from PSG. Can Ugarte solve Manchester United’s midfield woes? 

Emmanuel Petit: “I’m sorry to say this Manchester United fans, but Manuel Ugarte is not going to fix all of your midfield problems. 

I watched him at PSG. He started the season in the starting eleven at the beginning of the season, but after the club were demolished by Newcastle United in the Champions League, losing 4-1 at St. James’ Park, Ugarte wasn’t seen again! He completely disappeared from Luis Enrique’s first team. 

What can the fans expect from him? He will give 100% on the pitch. He will bring energy. He will bring aggression. He will bring sometimes the balance that’s needed in midfield, especially when Manchester United lose the ball. That Manchester United midfield is like Swiss f**king cheese! You can walk through the holes and get straight into the defenders. 

Ugarte won’t solve anything on his own, but he can show some fight and personality. He’s a good character and hopefully that will rub off on some of the other players.” 

Q: Arne Slot has had a great start to his reign as Liverpool manager do you think they will be challenging Manchester City and Arsenal this season for the Premier League? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Yes. Liverpool can definitely challenge for the Premier League title this season. Changing manager was a huge, huge step for Liverpool. It was a massive decision, and the early indications are that the club have got Klopp’s replacement right with Arne Slot. Slot has demonstrated that he was a good manager with his work at Feyenoord. 

The most important thing for Arne Slot was that nothing has really changed at the club since Klopp left in terms of personnel. It’s the same players, but the voice is different. He took a gamble taking the job after Klopp, it could have gone wrong, but he’s kept some of Klopp’s best bits and he’s added his own stamp in terms of patience and control. I like the tempo of the football that he’s got his team playing after three games. 

Stability is so important if you want to run to a successful football club. That is something I’ve been telling Chelsea. Look at how the big clubs in Europe are working. They bring stability on the bench, and they bring stability in the dressing room. Step by step, you improve the team.

Liverpool haven’t spent big money on the transfer market. They have kept things the same. This is a team that know each other really well. This is a group of players that is hungry for success, and that’s made life a little bit easier for Klopp. The targets are the same, the ambition is the same. They look like a team that wants trophies.” 

Q: On Liverpool stars in the last year of their contract

Emmanuel Petit: “Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk look like they have a couple of years left at the highest level, no doubt. They are both such magnificent players and have been magnificent players at the club for years and years. 

Are Salah and van Dijk the future of the club? At 32, and 33 respectively, you would say that they aren’t, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given new contracts. Both players are such a fantastic example to anyone at the club, and, on the pitch, they have so much to offer. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the future of the football club. He’s a at the perfect club for his ability as a football player.

He’s very good on the counter-attack. He’s a very good crosser, and very intelligent with the ball. His ability on the ball is incredible, but without the ball, he’s not the best. He’s not a brilliant defender in terms of defending, winning tackles, and you have to say that is one part of his game that he will never get better at because his mentality as a player to look forward and not worry about fighting for balls. 

I can’t see him leaving. He’s a Liverpool boy, the team and its tactics get the best out of him. He can fulfill all his ambitions at the club. I think it would be a massive gamble if he was to move on. Liverpool, and playing a certain type of football, is all he has ever known.” 

Q: Considering Barcelona’s precarious financial position were you shocked that they let Gundogan go back to Manchester City as a free transfer? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Guardiola knows exactly how he wants to play, and he knows exactly what he will get from Ilkay Gundogan. He loves Gundogan as a player, they’ve had so much success together. 

For me, it’s a deal that makes sense for everyone. He will walk into Manchester City and for his teammates, it will be like he’s been on a year-long holiday in Barcelona. 

It must have been a very easy decision for Gundogan to make. He’ll be a key player for City this season, especially when the club needs to rotate. It’s a great signing from Guardiola and an interesting one because I can’t think of many occasions where Pep has brought a player back to the club that he has worked with before. That tells you everything about the relationship between both pf them. 

I’m not surprised that Gundogan wanted to leave Barcelona after a season. The club are in such a big mess, on and off the pitch. 

Financially, this deal sums up the trouble at the club. They have players on huge salaries that they can’t afford to register, and they are paying for the mistakes they have made in the transfer market over the last six years. The club has made so many mistakes.” 

Q: Erling Haaland looks like a man possessed after three games. Is he reaping the benefits of a summer off?

Emmanuel Petit: “Erling Haaland knows that the only way he can win the Ballon d’Or, is to keep scoring goals for his club, because there is no way he is going to win anything with Norway. 

If he wants to be the best player in the world, he must keep scoring goals. I’m looking at him this season, and I can see a player that looks super hungry. That’s a scary thought for Manchester City’s rivals and every single defender in the Premier League. 

He had a summer off and that has definitely helped him. He looks fresh; focussed. Physically, he looks like he is in peak condition.”

Q: Were you surprised that Arsenal didn’t buy a striker after pursuing Sesko at the start of the summer? 

Emmanuel Petit: “I think Arsenal had a few targets that they liked. It wasn’t only Benjamin Sesko, but perhaps he was the player that they really, really wanted. 

I think Ivan Toney would have been a good option, but there was no way Arsenal were going to pay him £400,000 a week, so he went to Saudi Arabia. 

I think Arteta is looking at what his great friend and mentor Pep Guardiola did at Manchester City. To win the Champions League, City went out and got Erling Haaland. 

I’m looking at Arsenal’s squad, the depth, and it’s not the same as Manchester City’s. I think the starting eleven is good enough to beat anyone, but the bench is a little bit short. I think it’s short to compete for every single trophy; to go deep in the Champions League and the Premier League. 

Several Arsenal players had long, long seasons. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Havertz, Saliba, and Arsenal will need them to last the distance if they want to be successful this year. 

They signed a few players, and I like the signings, but I think the club are missing a striker. I think Arsenal need a proper striker, they need someone that gives them a plan b, because sometimes they are a bit predictable with the way they play. If you have two or three important players that are not on it, which is what happened against Brighton, it’s not the same Arsenal team. Arsenal needs more competition in the squad, especially in the striker position.”

Q: Do you think Arsenal will go further in the Champions League this season? 

Emmanuel Petit: “The Champions League will be a new format this season, with more games in one big league table before the knock-out rounds in the New Year. 

Arsenal will have to play two extra games. I think it’s hard to tell what we can expect from Arsenal in the Champions League because of the new format, but I think they will find things a little bit difficult. 

I’m worried about Arsenal’s strength in depth. Arsenal has quality players, but I don’t think they have enough to go deep into the Champions League and fight for the Premier League title. We saw last season, when you play against the very best teams in the world, sometimes you need a little bit more. 

Arsenal has a brilliant starting line-up, but there are a couple of key positions where I think they are an injury away from problems. I don’t think there are enough top, top players on the bench. Have they got enough to deal with injuries and suspensions, I guess we will find out a little bit more about their resilience when they play Tottenham without Declan Rice, but I think they are missing something. 

They could do with a different type of striker in the squad. They are missing a plan b.” 

Q: Who do you think will be Arsenal’s most important player this season? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Arsenal have got so many important players, so it’s hard to pick one, but if I had to, then I would say that it is Declan Rice. 

I saw Rice’s game against Ireland, he was amazing. He played with full energy and normally always shows the right temperament on the pitch in a hot atmosphere. He’s a leader and the way that he plays the game improves everyone around him. He doesn’t miss many games – he’s so reliable – which is why I was so surprised to see him get sent off against Brighton for kicking the ball away. I think that was easily the worst game he has had for Arsenal. He looked tired; his legs were heavy. He was unrecognisable. 

The only good thing about that red card is that he gets a week off. It’s a shame that it’s for the North London derby though.” 

Q: How much will Arsenal miss him against Spurs? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Of course, Arsenal are going to miss him against Spurs. Declan Rice is a Londoner. He was playing for West Ham, so he knows how important the derbies are in London.

It’s a massive game. He will be gutted that he can’t be involved. Last season, when Arsenal won at Spurs, he was magnificent on the pitch.”

Q: How do you think Arteta will configure his midfield in the absence of Rice? 

Emmanuel Petit: “There will be midfield changes given Rice and Odegaard’s absences, and Merino’s unavailability.

I think Arteta will put Jorginho in as the holding midfielder, possibly with Partey in there alongside him. One of those two will definitely play, it depends how he wants to approach the game. 

Havertz can drop into the midfield if he plays one of the holders, and then that could open up a place for Trossard up front. 

With Merino, Odegaard and Jesus injured, his options are a bit limited.”

Q: It seems crazy to say this, but is this a must-win game for Arsenal in the title race? 

Emmanuel Petit: “Yes, it’s definitely a must-win game for Arsenal. They can’t afford to lose this game because the gap to Manchester City will start to grow. City have got Brentford at home, and then the two sides meet. Arsenal won’t want to go into that game against City 4 or 5 points behind them. The pressure on that game would be absolutely huge. 

It’s a massive game for Arsenal. Playing Tottenham is always a very important game. It’s a derby against one of your main competitors at the top of the Premier League table, but given who Arsenal are playing next, and the fact they dropped points at home to Brighton, it’s a must-win game.”

Q: Arsenal have got the better of Tottenham recently. Do you expect them to do that again? 

Emmanuel Petit: “After Spurs lost against Newcastle last time, they will be looking to bounce back. They will want a reaction. 

I don’t like the fact that Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard aren’t available. I think that’s a major loss for Arsenal. 

I’m expecting Spurs to show some fight. The players will want a bit of revenge after they lost this fixture at home last season. They are also under a bit of pressure because they only have one win after three games, and that was against a very poor Everton team. Tottenham can’t afford to lose two games in a row, and if they do, that will ramp up the pressure on Ange Postecoglou. 

It’s a huge game for both teams. I think it’s going to be a draw. I’m not taking any risks with this one.”

Q: Chelsea are a circus

Emmanuel Petit: “Chelsea have amazed me. I shouldn’t be surprised, because this is what is happening at the club, and it’s been like this for two years. It’s a circus. It’s like Benny Hill – that’s the theme I’m humming when I think about my old club. 

It’s really not funny. I shouldn’t be laughing about it – it’s getting worse and worse at the club. 

Every single day there is a story about Chelsea. I’ve now been reading that the owners aren’t speaking to each other. It’s a disaster at Chelsea. 

I know from my own experience that when a club is run by two owners, it’s always difficult to make the best decisions. The sad thing is, that unless things don’t improve in the boardroom, then things can’t ever improve on the pitch. 

The decisions the club have made under the American ownership, they haven’t delivered any results. They are gambling. They are gambling on their transfer policy working and they are gambling on returning to the Champions League – that has to be the ambition. 

You can’t run a football club in Europe like an American sports franchise. You can’t spend over £1billion and have these kinds of results; have so many players. If I’m a Chelsea player or a member of staff, I’m scratching my head at the decisions these guys are making. If I’m a fan, I’m, angry. I’m thinking ‘what the f**k are you doing to my football club?’

It’s hard to have any faith in the owners. They haven’t done anything that makes me think that things are going to improve at the football club.” 

Q: On the affect that the boardroom split has on the pitch

Emmanuel Petit: “The board can’t send any positive signs to the manager and to the players when they are at war with each other. 

I’ve been reading what Marc Cucurella said about the environment in the dressing room, and I think it’s a pity because there are so many good players at the club, but you don’t see that translate to results on the pitch. 

It’s so difficult for Enzo Maresca and his staff to get the best out of them because all of these players are competing against each other – there are far too many players! When you have so many players in the dressing room, it’s very difficult to convince them to fight for the team before fighting for themselves. 

They all want to be in the starting eleven. There is no camaraderie or team spirit between them because they all want the same thing. The Chelsea dressing room is a total mess. 

The Chelsea players are good players, but they are also young players. Most of these guys don’t have any experience, and Chelsea have decided to get rid of most of their English and academy players. How can you teach these new guys the culture of the club if there is no one there to do it? I’m sure all of these guys are ambitious, but it’s a collection of individuals. Where is the identity? That’s why I was very surprised and disappointed that the club sold Conor Gallagher. 

Every day when I wake up, if I read the newspapers, I can read something bad coming from Chelsea.”

Q: Which Chelsea player were you sad to see leave this transfer window?

Emmanuel Petit: “Conor Gallagher’s departure was sad. He was the one of the few bright sparks at the club last season along with Cole Palmer. On top of that, he’s English. He knows the culture of the club, the values. 

He worked so hard for his Chelsea opportunity. He went on loan to West Bromwich Albion, then he went on loan to Crystal Palace…he did everything for his chance to compete for a place at the club. 

He brought that competition to the team last season. He brought passion. And then, all of a sudden, he’s out the door without a thank you. 

He’s an intelligent guy. He would have been hurt by how his Chelsea career ended – he would have read the news, seen the stories. He sees all the money the club are spending on new players, some of them he wouldn’t have even heard of. Chelsea filled the club with strangers and let their academy guys go. I can imagine how he was feeling when he was on his plane to Atletico Madrid.”

Q: On Cole Palmer

Emmanuel Petit: “Cole Palmer is the only bright spark of the American ownership at Chelsea. I don’t know who signed him, but that is the only positive from last season. He’s had a remarkable twelve months as a footballer. 

I would have loved to know what Pep Guardiola said to him when Manchester City came to Stamford Bridge last season. I’ve never seen Guardiola speak to one of his ex-players like that on the pitch before. 

What he has done since leaving Manchester City is the perfect response to being sold. 

Palmer is such a special talent, there isn’t a ceiling for him as a player. There is no limit. He has improved a lot in the space of one year. The challenge for him is to repeat his season again. He’s taken one step, he’s become an established player in the Premier League and on an international level, now he needs to go up another level. 

After what he did last season, he’s a leader now. The Chelsea fans expect him to win them games, and the players will too. They don’t look at him in the same way that they did twelve months ago. 

Can he do it all over again? That is the mark of a truly world-class player. The best players deliver week-in, week-out.” 

Q: After everything that happened with Enzo Fernandez over the summer, are you surprised to see him wearing the Chelsea armband this season?

Emmanuel Petit: “I’m surprised that Enzo Fernandez is wearing the captains armband in Reece James’ absence, especially after everything that happened with him over the summer. I’ve spoken about that before, and I don’t want to speak about it again. 

It’s not only that incident, but it’s also about his performance. He wasn’t good enough in a Chelsea shirt last season. In fact, Chelsea looked like a much better team without him in it when he was injured towards the end of last season. 

He joined for a massive fee. He hasn’t come close to delivering on that yet. 

When you appoint a captain, they have to be respected by every single player at the club, and we know that isn’t the case for Fernandez. 

Your captain is the face of your club. They play an important role on and off the pitch, they represent the people. It’s an important role. I don’t think Fernandez has represented Chelsea in the right way off the pitch. I’m very surprised that Maresca gave him the armband.”

Q: Will the decision to let Raheem Sterling join Arsenal on loan end up leaving egg on Chelsea’s face? 

Emmanuel Petit: “I hope Arteta will do exactly the same work with Raheem Sterling as he did with Kai Havertz. 

The environment at Arsenal is definitely not the same at Chelsea, so I think that will suit Sterling perfectly. He knows exactly what type of dressing room he’s walking into at Arsenal. He’s joining a great group of motivated players, and a very good club that is looking to win the Premier League this season. 

He would have seen Arsenal’s improvement over the last three years. I think Arsenal is precisely the right environment for him to improve as a player; it’s the perfect place for him to regain his confidence. 

He will definitely want to show Chelsea that they made the wrong decision letting him go. 

I also think that Sterling needs to show that he’s still a world-class player. He was on big wages at Chelsea, Arsenal are paying a fraction of those, but you need your best paid players to deliver week-in, week-out. That has been his biggest problem. I think he’s been quite inconsistent for the last few seasons, even towards the end of his time at Manchester City. Sterling can be very good for two or three games and, all of a sudden, you don’t see him for three weeks.

Sterling knows that he’s facing competition at Arsenal, but they are a totally different club to Chelsea. There is stability, serenity at the club, so this is something that can help bring the best out of him.”