2 hours ago
1
Gary Neville has assessed the Premier League title picture and ruled out one club with Arsenal topping the table at Christmas after beating Everton this weekend
Gary Neville has narrowed down the Premier League title race to two contenders, dismissing Aston Villa's chances. Despite being just three points behind Arsenal after 17 games, Unai Emery's side has not convinced the former Manchester United star that they can challenge for the top spot.
Emery's team has secured seven consecutive Premier League victories, including a win over Mikel Arteta's Gunners. However, Neville is of the opinion that Arsenal will transform their Christmas lead into a championship this time around.
The former Valencia manager unsurprisingly identifies Manchester City as the most formidable obstacle in Arsenal's quest for glory. He believes that the combination of Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland is 'very special' and will present a significant hurdle for the north London club.
However, Neville claims that an injury to Declan Rice could pose a bigger issue in the latter half of the season. The pundit also emphasises the importance of Arsenal maintaining their form during the crucial months of April and May.
"I'm drawing a line beneath the top two," Neville declared following Villa's victory over Manchester United. "Aston Villa are there and should be respected but they're not going to win the league.
He added: "I would be amazed if that happened. A lot would have to go wrong for Arsenal and Man City for Aston Villa to win the league.
"The league is peculiar, I mean not the top two, but beneath it. You're not quite sure what to make of the other teams.
"Man City are obviously [very good]. They've got Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola, someone very special on the pitch and someone very special on the bench.
"That's the biggest threat to Arsenal other than them getting injuries to [Declan] Rice and a couple of other players. I wouldn't be too concerned about Arsenal scraping through a few games, that's going to happen at some point in this season.
"They weren't great at Everton but were they ever going to be amazing there? I think they're in a good position.
"What's going to be really interesting is how they handle it once they get to March, April, May. That's going to be really interesting.
"But I actually feel like they're going to extend their lead in February and March and get a five or six-point cushion again. I think it's their year even though they're getting closed down a bit.
"I might be embarrassed because I know City fans are getting confident and think they're close and Arsenal will bottle it. But I'm not sure that will happen this time."
English (US) ·