Gary Neville has ruled Manchester City out of the title race and believes Liverpool are the ‘only’ team capable of denying Arsenal the Premier League trophy.
Arsenal’s serene progress in the Premier League this season continued on Saturday as Mikel Arteta’s side beat Burnley 2-0.
First-half goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice earned the Gunners their ninth successive win in all competitions, while a remarkably tight defence kept a seventh clean sheet in a row.
Arsenal are the short favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and Neville fully expects the trophy to be heading to the Emirates Stadium.
Neville is in fact ‘confident’ that Arteta will finally get his hands on the trophy and has questioned where Arsenal’s biggest challenge will come from.
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The ex-Manchester United and England defender doubts Manchester City will mount a title charge despite ‘genius’ Pep Guardiola at the helm and says the ‘only’ real challenge could come from Liverpool.
Arne Slot was bidding to retain the trophy this season but oversaw four successive league defeats before Saturday’s much-needed 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
‘Look, Arsenal can lose the title from here,’ ex-England defender Neville, who won the Premier League eight times at Manchester United, told NBC Sports.
‘I understand why Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal players and even the fans will play down the idea that they have to win it this season.
‘But they’re the most consistent team and they’ve been building up to this now for three or four seasons.
‘I actually tipped them for the title for the past three seasons and they’ve obviously fallen short. I thought they should have been there last season when Liverpool won it because I thought if Man City dropped off, Arsenal had to be the team to do it.
‘There won’t be many people making excuses for Arsenal this season and that’s not me applying pressure to Arsenal, I just think they’re the best team in the league and they’ve got the right squad.
‘It’s only November so it’s crazy to suggest you should win the league from here – but they should and if you’re not Mikel Arteta or an Arsenal player you can say that quite confidently.
‘The reason I say I’m confident Arsenal will win the league is because you always think about what can stop a team. If Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah in previous seasons they would be in trouble.
‘But I can’t think of any player Arsenal might lose now and it would mean they would lose the title… even the two centre-backs because of the summer signings.
‘Every position is covered. Bukayo Saka was that player in the past but Noni Madueke came in when he was injured. Everywhere they are properly doubled up with the same level of quality or only a small drop-off.
‘So who’s going to take it off them? Arsenal would have to beat themselves not to win it.
‘I don’t think Man City are going to get back to a level they they’ve been at previously and come back at Arsenal. Pep Guardiola is a genius but he hasn’t got the players or the team playing at the level needed.
‘Liverpool are the only team but they would have to get back on track very quickly.’
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