Gary Lineker disagrees with Gary Neville’s prediction that Arsenal will finish behind Manchester City and Manchester United in the Premier League title race..
The Gunners won the North London Derby by two goals on Sunday, extending their lead over defending champions City to eight points. Hugo Lloris turned a Bukayo Saka cross into his own net in the 14th minute, before Martin Odegaard doubled Arsenal’s lead before halftime.
It came a day after Pep Guardiola’s team was defeated 2-1 at Manchester United, extending their poor form. The Red Devils are only one point behind their local rivals in the table, with Newcastle sandwiched between them, so a four-way title race is a distinct possibility this season..
United travel to Arsenal next weekend after a midweek trip to Palace, meaning they will not have to play the top two in any of their remaining 18 matches, whereas the Gunners have yet to play City this season – with all three matches likely to be pivotal in the title race’s outcome.
“Arsenal are very, very good,” Gary Lineker said after the Gunners beat their North London rivals on Sunday. This year, Arsenal will win the Premier League title.”
Despite having such a large lead at the top of the table, the season is still less than halfway through, and Neville has argued on his own podcast: “No (Arsenal will not win the league). However, I predicted that Leicester would not win the Premier League..
They are not going to win the league. Manchester City will win the league, and I believe Manchester United will finish second, which will irritate Arsenal fans! I’d rather see Arsenal win the Premier League than Manchester City. It would be absolutely fantastic for the Premier League, in my opinion.
“I think about watching the Premier League, we’ve seen City sweep up, apart from Liverpool, over the past five years. To think Arsenal could come in and win it adds to our league and makes it great.”
“I would love Man United to win it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen this season,” Neville admitted. The reality is that I believe Man City will go on a run at some point. They’ll know when they’ve done it..
“If Erling Haaland starts to kick on, if City start to purr, if the defence starts to shore up a bit more than it has done – and they need Ruben Dias back if they can – I think City will win it. Arsenal will face a difficult period this season at some point. Is it possible that Arsenal will continue as they are? I don’t believe so..
“Could they (Arsenal) draw two and lose one in a three-game period, and if they did that, their lead is gone, and the pack is up with them?” the former United defender added. That’s what I expect to see: a traditional Premier League season in which a team goes out, the pacemaker, and then gets drawn back in a little bit.”
“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,” Neville said of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his work at the club. They cannot be broken..
“If Arteta wins the league this season, he joins that group. He’s still doing it because his football is so good. But he must first win the trophy. So, fingers crossed that they win it if Manchester United can’t, which I doubt, because I’d rather have that for the Premier League. Man City have won far too many titles in my opinion!”
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