Alan Pardew has pointed out Arsenal’s strongest competitor for the title after the Gunners widened their lead at the top of the Premier League.
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Arsenal, who have finished second in each of the last three seasons, pulled four points ahead with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday. ..Continue Reading
It was a standout weekend for Mikel Arteta’s team, who not only overcame a tough London opponent but also benefited from defeats suffered by Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
Defending champions Liverpool’s poor form continued at Brentford, Manchester City were beaten again at Aston Villa, and Chelsea were shocked by Sunderland.
These unexpected outcomes have positioned Bournemouth as Arsenal’s closest challenger, with Tottenham sitting third and newly-promoted Sunderland in fourth after a remarkable start.
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While many analysts are backing Arsenal—who last lifted the Premier League trophy in 2004—Pardew still believes Manchester City will pose a ‘big challenge’ for the title.
Pep Guardiola’s squad finished third last season, trailing Liverpool by 13 points, and have shown vulnerability this campaign, losing a third of their league fixtures so far.
Despite this, Pardew maintains that City can still contend for the title if Guardiola finds additional support for Erling Haaland, who has already netted 24 goals this season.
Commenting on City’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, Pardew told talkSPORT: ‘That was a strange result.
‘I’m not sure if Man City were feeling the effects of their midweek game [a 2-0 win over Villarreal in the Champions League] but I genuinely thought that was a bit of a blow.
‘Mikel Arteta and Arsenal would have looked at that game and thought, “wow what a result that is.”
‘You can’t but fear Man City making a challenge, I think there’s a big challenge in them even though they lost at Aston Villa, I really do.
‘The only worry is if they’re too reliant on Haaland, who’s really on form but is still going to need others to pitch in.
‘In previous Man City teams you would get a few players really contributing but I wonder if there’s enough around Haaland to win the title.
‘They need someone to step up to the plate and help out Haaland. There’s so much potential in that squad but Pep needs to see it on the pitch.’
Manchester United icon and former England international Gary Neville predicted Arsenal would win the league before the season began and now insists the title is ‘theirs to win’.
‘This has got to be their year,’ he said on his Sky Sports podcast. ‘I’ve had Arsenal to win the league the last three years – now four.
‘They aren’t miles better than last year but are repeating levels of consistency and that’s all they are going to have to do this year to win the league.
‘They aren’t going to have to get 100 points, or even 90. High 80s will win the title – they can do that.
‘Arsenal are reliable, you can trust them. They don’t concede goals. They don’t have a sensational forward, but they’ve got a battering ram who is as honest as the day is long and that can work for them.
‘This is your title, Arsenal. I’ve never really felt that sure before, it’s so early in the season, but it really is. That’s not being overconfident, or placing pressure, they must feel it themselves.
‘This is the moment Arsenal can get back on top. The chance is there for them; they have to take it.’
Arsenal aim to keep their title momentum going with a win against Burnley on Saturday.
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