Man City's defeat to Arsenal sees Premier League pre-season decisions questioned
And so we press pause once again.
The season's second international break was summoned with the full-time whistle at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, when Gabriel Martinelli's winner seemed to surprise both Arsenal and Manchester City in equal measure.
It had appeared as though both sides were settling for a point from the early season clash, perhaps both mindful that there is a long road ahead in a title race that you can't win in October, but you can often lose.
Nobody below the top four will be thinking that right now though, and with just three points separating them as we all take a breather, many are revising their pre-season predictions and wondering if we might be in for a tighter race at the top than we thought.
Are our Mirror Football team thinking along similar lines though? That's this Monday's Big Debate:
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Felix Keith
Don’t let the last few results fool you. Manchester City are still the best team in the Premier League.
The fact that things are so tight at the top is to be celebrated. But, as cliched as it is, it is a marathon not a sprint – 38 games is a long season and, as ever, City are the best equipped to go the distance.
The defeat by Wolves was the dictionary definition of a freak result. The loss against Arsenal on Sunday was something very different – City were strangely devoid of attacking intent – but their squad depth is beyond anything their rivals have.
Pep Guardiola shouldn't be too concerned about his side's defeats (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)His tactics may have been baffling at the Emirates, but Pep Guardiola has the experience and the players to pull clear when it matters. They are only two points behind and, let’s face it, Erling Haaland ’s mini-goal drought isn’t going to last long.
Julian Alvarez has shown the capabilities to step up for Haaland and the return to full fitness of John Stones will make a major difference. The loss of Kevin De Bruyne is clearly being felt, but in Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva they have plenty of creativity.
Let’s hope their rivals maintain pace. But it is far too early to write off City.
Mike Walters
Oh good - another international break, just when it was getting interesting at the top. Great news if you need to clean the gutters or weather-proof the fence, but it's like watching a good film on TV: All the intermissions for adverts kills the suspense.
After tipping Liverpool before a ball was kicked, I'm not going to go cold on them after eight games - especially as Mo Salah appears to have parked the interest from Saudi Arabia offering him £100,000,000,000,000,000 of their largesse, or however many noughts that figure should contain.
Mo Salah hasn't allowed transfer talk to distract him (PA)Salah is already up to six goals in all competitions, and it looks as if he is forming a tasty new holy trinity up top with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. Take away the froth surrounding Diaz's disallowed goal at Tottenham, and Liverpool's rash of early-season red cards, and they have come out of the first two mini-blocks of fixtures in decent shape.
Manchester City will be the obvious danger, although the purse strings at the Etihad must be under strain if they can only afford to spend £200 million they found down the back of the sofa in one window on Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes.
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So no thanks - I'm not changing my mind. Now, where's that creosote?
Fraser Watson
What a difference two games makes.
Just 10 days ago champions Manchester City had won six Premier League games from six and all was well with the world. But back-to-back defeats for the treble winners has now got pundits suddenly questioning the notion that a fourth straight title is there for the taking.
It’s still early days, but Tottenham, Arsenal, and Liverpool are emerging as the main threats to City’s crown. For all the new-found positivity engulfing Spurs fans, the prospect of them going the distance this season remains unrealistic, with Ange Postecoglou’s squad still lacking the depth of rivals.
Despite the recent VAR controversy and the dropped points at Brighton, Liverpool appear to have the bit between their teeth again. But Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently mixing constant threat with vulnerability at the back, and the suspicion remains that they are performing with too much jeopardy to bag the title.
Gabriel Martinelli's late winner spread joy at the Emirates (AFP via Getty Images)Which leaves Arsenal as the main challengers. Come May and Sunday’s win, achieved without Bukayo Saka, could well be pinpointed as the day the Gunners proved they had the substance, and mentality, to dethrone City and end a 20-year wait for a title.
However, my hunch remains that once Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones, and Rodri return, City will emerge as the superior force again. But the narrative has certainly changed. Suddenly, it appears Guardiola and co will have little margin for error.
John Cross
Nothing has changed my mind… Manchester City are still my choice to win the Premier League. It has not been a great start for Pep Guardiola’s men and Arsenal’s win over City will certainly strengthen Mikel Arteta’s belief that it could be his year.
This is unusual territory for City because the last time they lost back-to-back Premier League games was December 2018. But City, in my view, are still the best team even if they are a team in transition and generally only hit top gear in March, They also have new players, are probably too reliant on Rodri (he is world class, though) and are finding their feet.
Arsenal probably have more depth this year. But will they find last year’s rhythm? They haven’t yet. They might be City’s closest challengers.
Tottenham are the surprise package and Ange Postecoglou has done a fabulous job with a thin squad.
Liverpool look very, very good - especially going forward. Dominik Szoboszlai is my new favourite player in the Premier League.
But I still make City my favourites this season because when they hit top gear, they are unstoppable.
Arsenal's winner against City sparked wild scenes at the Emirates (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)Megan Feringa
Hegemonies always topple eventually, particularly when those hegemonies are missing their Belgian playmaker to feed the guzzling Nordic Goliath up top.
Manchester City don’t look like Manchester City. And while it’s still early days, the fact Arsenal not only banished their ostensible near-decade long Bad-Pep-juju on Sunday but did so despite a clear and obvious error going against them speaks volumes to the spirit coursing through the Gunner milieu at the moment. For those who have grown weary of the same-old City-gripped league, the possibility of a new champion is downright scintillating.
Arsenal have a dog named Win. Maybe they’ll get another next year named Champ. If they do, this writer wouldn’t be all that surprised.
If that dog's name is Ange, we would be far more surprised. But not upset.
Mark Jones
Six of the eight teams Liverpool have faced so far this season will expect to finish in the top half, while the same can be said for only three of the sides each of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City have come up against.
Yet if Liverpool win the Saturday lunchtime Merseyside derby at Anfield when the Premier League returns they'll jump from fourth place to the top of the league. That's how tight it is up there.
Liverpool have come through a tricky start to the season just three points off the top (Jane Stokes/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)Sure they will have regrets about the dropped points in unfortunate circumstances at Tottenham and untidy ones at Brighton, but having fancied the refreshed Reds to have a good season I can really see them going on a run once their fixtures ease markedly. So much of this Jurgen Klopp rebuild has been about getting his team to dominate the smaller sides, and now we'll see the true test of the revamp.
Manchester City hold the cards of course, and Arsenal still look far too on edge at times despite Sunday's fortunate win, while Tottenham should just focus on putting down building blocks as they are impressively doing. Liverpool should get 12 points from the 12 available before the next international break though, and the table will be interesting to look at then.
Nathan Ridley
No, I'm not changing my mind. We've doubted Manchester City's ability to go again in previous seasons and it'd be foolish to do so again.
Arsenal got over a barrier yesterday, deservedly so in what was a disappointing affair for the neutral, but there are still 30 Premier League games left as well as cup competitions which Mikel Arteta can't afford to disregard. No starting XI is perfect but from David Raya to Gabriel Jesus, there are doubts emerging over whether the Gunners still need more investment to properly compete at the top, but their squad depth is certainly better than that of last term.
Tottenham are much-improved, too, and performance-wise have impressed me more than Liverpool, but it feels as if Jurgen Klopp's side will have the edge in terms of mounting a sustained title charge - even with Europa League football. However, I ultimately think those two sides will finish closer on points to Newcastle than City, who I'm still backing to come out on top.
Daniel Orme
There can be no disputing that Pep Guardiola’s treble winners are enduring a tricky spell. City have lost their last three domestic matches - Sunday’s defeat making it back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time since December 2018.
That will be a worry for any side that has ambitions of lifting the league title. There is no need to be concerned at this stage though.
Even last season, City still had plenty left in the tank to win the title when sitting five points behind Arsenal having played a game more midway through last season. Once the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri return to the side, it would certainly not be a surprise to see them embarking on another one of those irresistible winning runs that they have so often put together under Guardiola.
City have been missing the suspended Rodri in their last two league matches (ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)That does not mean to say that they won’t have competition. Like last season, Arsenal will push them all the way and appear to have the required mettle this term.
While Spurs have enjoyed a bright start to the season, any injuries could put paid to any title challenge. James Maddison simply cannot be replaced in Ange Postecoglou’s side already so him missing would be a huge problem.
David McDonnell
Only a fool would write off Manchester City's title hopes, even after back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time in five years. The last time City lost consecutive games in the league, they went on a remorseless run, winning 17 of their remaining 18 games to pip Liverpool to the title by a solitary point in 2019.
Such is City's experience, talent and strength in depth, they are capable of emerging from their mini-crisis and going on another sustained run to take control of the title race. Arsenal won courtesy of a fortuitous deflected goal, although the psychological lift a first league win over City in 13 games will give Mikel Arteta's men should not be underestimated.
Tottenham have had a fine start under Ange Postecoglou, but may lack the depth of personnel to stay the distance, while Liverpool look revitalised this season with their new additions and a summer reset, despite drawing at Brighton at the weekend.
Tottenham have started well but aren't expected to last the distance (Alex Morton/Tottenham Hotspur FC/REX/Shutterstock)Arsenal have the personnel to push City all the way, particularly with Declan Rice now anchoring their midfield, but Guardiola's side know how to get the job done and have players coming back.
Erling Haaland will thrive again once Kevin De Bruyne is back to be his chief provider, while Rodri's return from a three-match ban and John Stones coming back from injury will make a huge difference.
That is why it would be crazy to bet against City making it three titles in a row, on the back of a narrow defeat at Arsenal.
Ben Husband
The international break has come at the right time for City. The aura of invincibility surrounding them has been seriously tarnished over the last fortnight and the void left by Rodri has been a massive one.
However, I still expect them to hit their stride after a brief pause. Guardiola's side always manage to string a long run of wins together at just the right time.
Arsenal will run them close again, but a lack of a striker still concerns me and could be the difference over a long season. Liverpool and Tottenham have both impressed but I still have some reservations as to whether they will be able to keep pace with the top two for the entire campaign. I do predict them both to get in the top four though, although Newcastle may still have something to say about that.
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