Former Manchester United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has delivered a stark verdict on the Premier League title race, insisting it is now a contest between only two teams.
Neville draws the line at the top two
Speaking after Aston Villa's victory over Manchester United, the eight-time Premier League winner explicitly ruled Unai Emery's high-flying side out of contention for the championship. Despite Villa sitting just three points behind leaders Arsenal after 17 matches and riding a wave of seven consecutive wins, Neville remains unconvinced of their staying power.
"I’m drawing a line beneath the top two," Neville stated. "Aston Villa are there and should be respected but they’re not going to win the league. 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."
Arsenal tipped to end Christmas curse
Neville's prediction places Arsenal, who hold a slender two-point cushion at the summit heading into the festive period, as the likely champions. He believes Mikel Arteta's squad is poised to convert their Christmas lead into a first Premier League title in over two decades, breaking a historical trend that has often seen the holiday leaders falter.
"I think it’s their year even though they’re getting closed down a bit," the 50-year-old added. He suggested Arsenal could even extend their advantage in the coming months, securing a five or six-point buffer by February or March.
The Manchester City threat and Arsenal's key concern
Unsurprisingly, Neville identified reigning champions Manchester City as the primary obstacle to Arsenal's ambitions. He highlighted the potent combination of manager Pep Guardiola and striker Erling Haaland as a "very special" dual threat that will keep the pressure on the Gunners until the very end.
However, Neville pointed to a potential internal issue that could derail Arsenal's campaign more than any external challenge. He singled out the fitness of key midfielder Declan Rice as a critical factor, suggesting an injury to the England international in the second half of the season would be highly problematic.
"That’s the biggest threat to Arsenal other than them getting injuries to [Declan] Rice and a couple of other players," Neville explained. He also noted that the ultimate test will come in the final stretch of the season, stating, "What’s going to be really interesting is how they handle it once they get to March, April, May."
Despite acknowledging the growing confidence of Manchester City fans who anticipate an Arsenal collapse, Neville concluded with a firm belief in the north London side's resilience this time around: "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."
