Former West Ham manager Alan Pardew has identified the biggest threat to Arsenal winning the Premier League title this season.
In a month, the Gunners have gone from five points adrift of previous leaders Liverpool to seven points ahead of the defending champions at the summit of the Premier League.
Arsenal are on a run of four Premier League wins in a row with second-placed Bournemouth – who are four points behind Mikel Arteta’s men – currently their closest rivals.
Tottenham and Sunderland are a further point back, while Pep Guardiola’s Man City and neighbours Man Utd are another point adrift in fifth and sixth place respectively.
Liverpool, who started the season as favourites for the title, are now seventh in the Premier League with the Reds already losing the same amount of games this season as they did in the whole of last term.
Man City lost to Aston Villa over the weekend but Pardew reckons the Citizens could still prove to be Arsenal’s biggest challengers.
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When asked about Man City losing to Aston Villa 1-0 on Sunday, 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.”
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Former Man Utd defender Gary Neville has told Arsenal that this is now their title after tipping them for glory in each of the last four seasons.
Neville said on Sky Sports: “This has got to be their year. 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.”
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