Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table is now up to six points, but is it too soon to call the title race a foregone conclusion?
With just one defeat all season, Arsenal are soaring ahead in the early stages of this Premier League campaign, and Mikel Arteta’s side look stronger than ever.
Another three points and another clean sheet on Saturday pushes the Gunners one step closer to their first league title since 2004, but there’s still a long way to go this season.
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There’s talk of Viktor Gyokeres being the difference to take Arsenal to that elusive league title, while the time it’s taken to form Arteta’s project leaves the club with immense pressure to finally succeed. So, is this the year?
Mikel Arteta looks on during Arsenal vs Brighton
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
What Gary Neville said about Arsenal’s Premier League title chances
Gary Neville has long touted Arsenal as potential title winners. In fact, this is now the fourth season in a row that he’s backed his former rivals to land the top prize in English football, but he’s been wrong before.
Now, discussing Arsenal’s title hopes on NBC Sports, Neville was slightly more pragmatic, insisting Arsenal’s record-breaking start does make them the favourites but that they can still be caught.
He said: “Look, Arsenal can lose the title from here. I understand why Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal players and even the fans will play down the idea that they have to win it this season.
“But they’re the most consistent team, and they’ve been building up to this now for three or four seasons. I actually tipped them for the title for the past three seasons, and they’ve obviously fallen short. I thought they should have been there last season when Liverpool won it because I thought if Man City dropped off, Arsenal had to be the team to do it.
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“There won’t be many people making excuses for Arsenal this season and that’s not me applying pressure to Arsenal, I just think they’re the best team in the league and they’ve got the right squad. It’s only November so it’s crazy to suggest you should win the league from here – but they should and if you’re not Mikel Arteta or an Arsenal player you can say that quite confidently.”
Neville did suggest that Arsenal finally have the strength in depth needed to maintain a title challenge across the whole year, but he admitted Liverpool could still be the team to upset them later in the season.
He added: “The reason I say I’m confident Arsenal will win the league is because you always think about what can stop a team. If Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah in previous seasons they would be in trouble.
“But I can’t think of any player Arsenal might lose now and it would mean they would lose the title… even the two centre-backs because of the summer signings. Every position is covered.
“Arsenal would have to beat themselves not to win it. I don’t think Man City are going to get back to a level they’ve been at previously and come back at Arsenal. Pep Guardiola is a genius but he hasn’t got the players or the team playing at the level needed. Liverpool are the only team but they would have to get back on track very quickly.”
Pep Guardiola during Manchester City v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Arsenal have blown the title before, it could happen again
As Neville says, we have seen teams in much stronger positions further along in the season still fall down and lose the title. A six-point lead in early November is nothing to get too excited about just yet.
As recently as 2022/23, Arsenal had an eight-point lead heading into the final stretch. However, a disastrous collapse, including a 4-1 defeat to Man City in late April, saw Pep Guardiola’s side end up on top of the league with a five-point lead by the end of the season.
In 2023/24, Arsenal fell short again, missing out on the title by two points to City. The Gunners spent over 250 days at the top of the table that year only to lose out, becoming the only team to ever achieve that unwanted feat.
Forget Liverpool… With Erling Haaland playing at unthinkable levels once more, there’s no reason Guardiola’s men can’t ascend to the top again this year.