Manchester United legend Gary Neville has made a fresh Premier League title prediction on Arsenal after Manchester City’s convincing 3-0 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners went into the weekend with a six-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s side at the top of the table, but they could not sustain the advantage after a 2-2 draw at Sunderland.
Arsenal made a terrific comeback after being 1-0 down at half-time. They were on course for a hard-fought 2-1 victory before Brian Brobbey scored a stoppage-time equaliser for the Black Cats.
City capitalised on the Gunners’ slip with a resounding 3-0 victory over the Reds. In the process, they are now only four points behind Mikel Arteta’s side with an identical goal difference.
Speaking in his Sky Sports podcast, Neville said that Arsenal are still the better side, but the Cityzens are the one team you would not want on your shoulder heading into the final season stretch, given they have players who know how to win titles.
He said: “Pep has giving them a bit of belief going into the international break. They’re four points off Arsenal, they’ve got experience.
“They have got players who have been around the block and know how to win titles. He will just want to hang on Mikel Arteta’s shoulder by March because he’s the one you don’t want near you.
“I thought the biggest challenger [to Arsenal] would be Liverpool, I thought Man City were too inconsistent, but it looks like I was badly wrong.
“They’ve still got to convince me that they’re going to win the title – Arsenal are the better team – but they’re the one team and the one manager you wouldn’t want on your shoulder going down the home straight.”
When asked whether Liverpool could still be contenders after falling eight points behind Arsenal, Neville added: “I’m going to say yes. ‘If it clicked something could happen. They’ve got firecrackers and world-class players in that dressing room.”
The international break has come at the right time
The international break has probably come at the right moment for the Gunners, with the limited resources in the final third due to the ongoing injury crisis.
The club had three away games in the space of just seven days. Against Sunderland, there were some players who looked to be running on empty towards the end.
Arteta had only Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri to rely upon as attacking options off the bench. Nwaneri has proved his credentials, but the nature of Saturday’s game did not permit his entry.
Nwaneri has the knack for losing possession, which could have proved costly. Arsenal have the opportunity to refocus with a reinforced squad after the break.
Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli are anticipated to return from muscle injuries later this month. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke could be fit too.