Roy Keane and Gary Neville believe Manchester City are the clear favourites to win the Premier League title this campaign despite Arsenal taking a four-point lead at the top of the table.
The Gunners survived a huge amount of pressure at Elland Road on Sunday to secure a 1-0 win courtesy of Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal, with Patrick Bamford missing a penalty.
Later in the day, Man City then suffered their first defeat of the season against Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah’s strike securing a 1-0 victory for the Merseysiders.
Arsenal are now four points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table, having won nine of their first 10 games, but Neville and Keane are not changing their title predictions just yet.
Asked if he still believes City will run away with the title, Neville said on Sky Sports: ‘I still think they will. I don’t think today changes it.
‘This is a freak game playing at Anfield and 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, Manchester United, Newcastle.
‘And I think City will just go away. This season is a very different season as well, post World Cup it could be completely different than it is now.’
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Keane agreed with Neville, though was very complimentary about Arsenal: ‘I still fancy City for the title, yeah. Arsenal have had a brilliant start to the season but it’s obviously a long way to go yet.
‘You wouldn’t bet against Man City, they obviously won the title [last season] and are very, very strong.
‘Arsenal have improved, recruitment [was good] in the summer, they’ve got momentum, the feel-good factor at the club, plenty of energy in the club. ‘And even today they’re getting bits of luck with the penalty miss today, but you’d have to still fancy City.’
Micah Richards, though, feels the Gunners do have a genuine chance of toppling City, saying: ‘Arsenal have been brilliant. This season they have been different. They’re different.’
When Neville asked if he really believes Arsenal can live with City, Richards added: ‘Over the course of the season, if they get a few injuries, probably not.
‘The difference with Manchester City and Arsenal is City can lose a few players and play the exact same way, they can afford to rotate.
‘If Arsenal lose Gabriel Jesus or Oleksandr Zinchenko to a certain degree or Thomas Partey in central midfield, all of a sudden they become a different team. But as they are now, they’re on a good run.’
