After Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier on this season, Gary Neville was asked whether Arsenal could go on and win the Premier league for the first time in 19 years.
He said on his podcast:
“No. But I said Leicester wouldn’t win the league. They [Arsenal] won’t win the league. Manchester City will win the league, and I think Man Utd will finish second, and I know that will annoy Arsenal fans!
I’d rather Arsenal win the league than Man City. I think it would be absolutely sensational for the Premier League. I know Arsenal fans will batter me, as they have been doing for the last four months, I hope you win it! I think for Mikel Arteta, it’s so difficult for young managers to break that [Antonio] Conte, [Jurgen] Klopp, [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Pep] Guardiola, [Jose] Mourinho mould and become one of those super managers. You can’t break them.”
However, following Arsenal and Manchester City’s losses to Everton and Tottenham respectively last week, Neville changed his mind and said for the first time how he now believed Arsenal have what it takes to finish top.
The former Manchester United player said via The Overlap:
“I was more worried watching City on Sunday than I was after Arsenal losing on Saturday. We were at the City game on Sunday and the team came through I thought ‘hmm, for the first time I thought Arsenal could win the league.’ That’s not looking smart after the events when City lost, I thought he [Guardiola] is messing around, he is tinkering far too much. I don’t know why [Kevin] De Bruyne isn’t playing, I don’t know why [Ilkay] Gundogan hasn’t played, I don’t know why [Ruben] Dias isn’t back in at centre-back with [Aymeric] Laporte to make them solid.
I saw the team and from my point of view, my prediction was City would catch Arsenal. I was less sure on Sunday afternoon than I had ever been. I was pretty certain two weeks ago. I was actually certain on Saturday afternoon, I thought, ‘right City will do it proper tomorrow, this will be a champions performance’. He will go with his best team, he won’t mess around. But if he carries on like that, carries on doing what he is doing. Sometimes great managers of that ilk, I know Sir Alex had it a little bit as well, they just like to do things a little bit differently.”
Many pundits, like Jamie Carragher, have said for most of the season that Arsenal can win this league title. Will they? Obviously no one knows, however from looking at what Arsenal have produced this season they’re most definitely in the race.
After losing at Goodison Park & being held to a 1-1 draw against Brentford at home, Gary Neville will most likely change his mind again on the Premier League title race as Arsenal look to be stumbling in recent games.
Let’s see what happens on Wednesday when Arsenal host Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. Even with 17 games still to go, Wednesday night looks to be a huge game in the title race and one that could make many pundits change their minds once again on who will win the league this season.
Image Credit: The Overlap on YouTube
