Arsenal are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League (Shutterstock)
Gary Neville believes Arsenal will not win the Premier League title despite taking a commanding lead at the top of the table following their victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side are now eight points clear of Manchester City after beating Spurs 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City, meanwhile, lost ground on Saturday following their 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Pep Guardiola’s side can make up points as they still have to play Arsenal twice in the league and Neville believes the Premier League champions will retain their crown and backs Manchester United to finish in second place.
When asked if he believes Arsenal will win the title, Neville told Sky Sports: ‘No. But I said Leicester wouldn’t win the league.
‘They won’t win the league. Manchester City will win the league, and I think Man Utd will finish second, and I know that will annoy Arsenal fans.
Gary Neville has backed Manchester United to finish second this season (Reuters)
‘I’d rather Arsenal win the league than Man City. I think it would be absolutely sensational for the Premier League.
‘I think about watching the Premier League, we’ve seen City sweep up, apart from Liverpool, over the past five years. To think Arsenal could come and win it, it adds to our league, it makes our league great.
‘I’d love Man Utd to win it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen this season.
‘The reality of it is, I think at some point Man City will hit a run. Once they do, they’ve got to play Arsenal twice. With City, is Erling Haaland not getting the service, or does he need to do more? I’ll ask that question. Does he need to do more, or does he need to be patient?
‘If Erling Haaland starts to kick on, if City start to purr, if the defence starts to shore up a bit more than it has done, and they need Ruben Dias back if they can, I think City will win it.
Gary Neville says Manchester City need Erling Haaland to ‘kick on’ (Getty)
‘At some point, there will be a very difficult period for Arsenal this season. Is it conceivable that Arsenal are going to continue as they are? I don’t think it is. Could they draw two and lose one in a three-game period, and if they did that, their lead is gone, and the pack is up with them? That’s what I think is going to happen, we’ll see a traditional Premier League season where a team goes out, the pacemaker, and then they’ll get drawn back in a little bit. But I still think that this season is going to be far better for Arsenal than I ever imagined it would be.
‘I know Arsenal fans will batter me, as they have been doing for the last four months, I hope you win it! I think for Mikel Arteta, it’s so difficult for young managers to break that [Antonio] Conte, [Jurgen] Klopp, [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Pep] Guardiola, [Jose] Mourinho mould and become one of those super managers. You can’t break them.
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‘If Arteta wins the league this season, he breaks into that bunch. He’s doing it anyway, because his football is fantastic. But he needs to win that trophy. A Champions League, a Premier League, they are the super managers, the ones that win those trophies.
‘So, fingers crossed that they do win it, if Man Utd can’t, which I don’t think they can, because I’d rather have that for the Premier League. Man City have won too many titles for me.’
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Arsenal are eight points clear at the top of the table.
