Arsenal managed to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they beat Leeds United 1-0 on Sunday and then saw Manchester City drop points against Liverpool.
Speaking after the latest round of fixtures, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville shared his thoughts on the north London club and their chances of winning the league title this season.
Neville’s title verdict
Asked on Sunday evening whether he thinks City would still win the title comprehensively despite their loss at Anfield, the 47-year-old said: “I still think they will. I don’t think today changes it.
“This is a freak game, playing at Anfield. I think for City, it’s the most difficult game they have. I still think City will run away with it.
“I think Arsenal will come back towards Tottenham, Chelsea, United, Newcastle.
“This season is a very different season as well. Post-World Cup it could be completely different than it is now.”
City still fearsome
Mikel Arteta’s side have won nine of their first 10 league games and lost the other, scoring 24 goals and conceding 10 in the process, the same number that City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have shipped.
Across those matches, only City have had more shots at goal (177 vs 158) and shots on target (66 vs 60) than the Gunners, who also only have Pep Guardiola’s side above them in terms of overall team ratings from WhoScored (7.05/10 vs 6.85/10).
Taking this into account, it does seem that the reigning league champions could be a hindrance in seeing Arteta’s side take the crown off them this season.
If Arsenal can still be at the top of the league by the time the World Cup starts, this could put them in a good place to continue where they left off when the campaign resumes following the tournament in Qatar.
However, with the Gunners still yet to play City twice in the league, these games could be defining in terms of the title race.
