Bullard says 'awesome' Arsenal will win title

14 April 2012

Jimmy Bullard has backed Arsenal to beat Manchester United to the title if they can reproduce their display against Fulham every week.

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Bullard was on the receiving end of a convincing, if not quite vintage, Arsenal performance as his first appearance at Craven Cottage in 17 months was marred by Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Arsene Wenger's team.

The Fulham midfielder believes the movement of Arsenal's players is so good that opponents sometimes need to have eyes in the back of their heads.

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The high life: Emmanuel Adebayor leaps to head his second goal for Arsenal in the .-. victory at Fulham that boosted the Gunners' hopes of winning the Premier League

"They're one of the best teams I've ever played against to be honest. I probably didn't look up to speed against this team," admitted Bullard, as he stepped up his recovery from a career-threatening knee injury.

"Their movement is frightening. They keep the ball, pass before you know, they're on your right shoulder, then on your left. You've got to have a fighter pilot's neck on. When I chased [Alexander-Hleb into the corner, I thought I'd put my cruciate out.

"He's got some turn on him. It's just natural ability. It's sharpness, bang and it's done, before you can even blink. Awesome to watch and awesome to play against. By 3-0 they were cruising.

"There's no one player conducting it all. I think that's why they're so good. Everyone's comfortable on the ball and they all run off the ball. There isn't really a weak point in their game.

"Some weeks they don't turn up quite as good as they normally do but [on Saturday] they were awesome. If they play like that week in week out I think they can win it."

The biggest thorn in Fulham's side was Emmanuel Adebayor, who took his tally for the season to 15 Premier League goals with two superbly directed headers.

Bullard suggested that defenders marking the 6ft 5in Togo international should bring stilts. "The big man has jumped as high as the crossbar for his goals. I don't think anyone in the Premier League can mark that. He's a monster isn't he? I'm sure he jumped as high as the bar on that first goal. It's a standing jump as well. It's frightening," he said.

Adebayor said his unique jumping skills were honed from an early age.

He explained: "When I was young, I used to suspend a ball from the ceiling in my mum's house in Togo and see if I could jump high enough to head it. Every time I managed to head it, I would shorten the string attached to the ball and try to leap even higher.

"I've always come first in every jumping test and not just because I am tall."

Adebayor admits he has improved his sometimes wayward finishing this season but he says the main reason is that he knows he will be in the team every week.

"Last year a lot of people thought I wasn't a good player or a good finisher, but this season I'm happy to be one of the leading scorers around.

"The most important thing is that I feel free - I am starting most games now and the first question I ask myself is not whether I am playing, or whether I am going to start on the bench, but whether I'm going to score. I don't care whether people rate me as a finisher because I have a buzz about my game now, I have the feeling that Arsene Wenger trusts me."

Arsenal are behind leaders United on goal difference.

Fulham's chances of meeting Arsenal next season are diminishing as their pitiful display sent them deeper into the relegation mire. "It's a horrible result for us," said Bullard.

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