Football pundit, Gary Neville has identified Liverpool as the sole team he believes is capable of preventing Arsenal from ending their more than two-decade wait to lift the Premier League trophy, though he concedes it would require a minor miracle.
The Gunners have continued their phenomenal start to the new campaign, securing their ninth successive victory in all competitions with a comfortable 2-0 triumph at Burnley on Saturday. That win extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points, solidifying Arsenal as the firm favourites to secure their first top-flight title since 2004.
Meanwhile, Liverpool managed to halt a run of four successive league defeats by seeing off Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday. This result provided a crucial morale-boosting win for their manager, Arne Slot, ahead of a tough week of fixtures.
Despite the clear issues the reigning Premier League champions have faced this season, Neville asserts that they remain the biggest threat to Arsenal’s seemingly serene title charge.
“So who’s going to take it off them? Arsenal would have to beat themselves not to win it,” Neville was quoted by Teamtalk.
He added that he doesn’t believe Manchester City will return to their previous dominant level to challenge Arsenal effectively, arguing that while Pep Guardiola is a genius, he currently doesn’t have the team playing at the level required.
Neville concluded: “Liverpool are the only team but they would have to get back on track very quickly.”
That recovery may have started with the victory over Villa, but the Reds remain a team with clear defensive flaws. This stands in sharp contrast to the league leaders, as the Arsenal side demonstrated by keeping their seventh successive clean sheet against Burnley.