Manchester United legend and pundit Gary Neville has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season, while predicting how many points they need to get over the line. After finishing second in three consecutive seasons, the Gunners now finally have the swagger of champions-elect, having opened up a four-point lead at the summit after nine games.
Arsenal starting to pull clear
With Liverpool slumping to their fourth successive defeat at Brentford on Saturday and Manchester City losing to Aston Villa, Arsenal capitalised by beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday to open up a four-point lead at the top of the table. Eberechi Eze's first-half goal against his former team sealed the all-important three points for Arteta's men. Arsenal have now won seven out of their first nine league matches to secure 22 points, with surprise package Bournemouth currently in second on 18.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'This has got to be their year'
Neville has come out to label the Gunners as overwhelming favourites to win the Premier League this term. The Man Utd legend said on the : "This has got to be them, hasn't it? This has got to be their year. This is the fourth season on the bounce that I've had them to win the league, but they're not necessarily miles better, they're repeating their levels of consistency, and that's all they're going to have to do this year to win the league. They're not going to have to go and get 100 points, they're not going to have to get even 90 or 95 points to win the league, mid-80s, high 80s will win them this title, and they can do that.
"I mentioned before about the other teams [being] inconsistent and unreliable, that's not this Arsenal team. They're very reliable. You can trust them. The way in which they defend is fantastic. They're all around each other. They don't concede goals. They've got a threat up front in multiple areas. They've not got a sensational centre-forward, but they've got a battering ram up there as honest as a day's long, and that can work for them. They've got [Eberechi] Eze, they've got so they've got [Noni] Madueke, [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Leandro] Trossard, lots of players who can contribute goals. They've got [Declan] Rice who can obviously deliver in set-pieces. They've got four fantastic full-backs and three excellent centre-backs."
Neville tells Arteta to seize the moment
Neville added: "So there are a lot of very good things going for Arsenal. It's about making sure now they don't get carried away. It's about making sure they just keep doing the same things. They don't need to do anything spectacular here. Just keep doing your jobs. Keep doing what you do, and you will win this league. It's yours to win. This is your title, Arsenal. I've never really felt that sure before. It's so early in the season, it's madness for someone with the experience that I've got of winning titles to say that 'it's yours', but it really is.
"They must feel it themselves. The Arsenal fans must feel it. They must know that this is the moment that Arsenal can get back on top. This is a moment for Mikel Arteta, for these players, for Arsenal to represent themselves as being the best in the country. The chance and the opportunity is there for them, they've got to go and take it."
AFPArsenal equal Man Utd record
With the 1-0 win over Palace at the Emirates, the Gunners have now equalled Manchester United's incredible record. The Gunners have gone 100 consecutive games in all competitions without conceding three goals in a match. They are just the second team in the English top-flight to achieve this feat, with United having done likewise between October 2016 and August 2018.
Arteta's men will next face Brighton on Wednesday in a Carabao Cup clash before heading to Burnley on Saturday for their next Premier League encounter.