12 March 2024 , 09:27
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Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher wrote off Arsenal’s chances of competing for the 2023/24 Premier League title at the end of last season.
Arsenal held a eight-point lead over Manchester City with 10 matches to go last season but only won four of their remaining matches. City ended up finishing five points clear of Mike Arteta’s side to win a fifth title in six seasons as part of an historic treble.
Fast-forward a year and the Gunners are back at the top of the table – where they spent 248 days last season – following eight straight wins in which they’ve scored 33 goals and conceded just four. They are above Liverpool on goal difference and one point clear of City ahead of a crunch match against Pep Guardiola ’s side on March 31.
Arsenal bolstered their squad with the key signings of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya in the summer and have reaped the benefits as they chase a first title in 20 years. While it remains a three-horse race, Arsenal’s consistency this season was not predicted by Neville and Carragher, who discussed the sides most likely to challenge City back in May on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football programme.
"The only team that’s really proven that they can run them really close and that I could trust is Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool – but I’m not sure about that because I think they dropped off way below what they did last time they had a bad season,” Neville said after the Reds finished fifth.
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"I hope that all the other teams are looking at Manchester City and not feeling sorry for themselves and thinking ‘how do we get to that level?’ Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have lived with them for three seasons, they’re the only team that have proven they can really do it.
"Arsenal lived with them for 30 games this season, so let’s hope it can happen, because I don’t buy into this doom and gloom that we might as well all pack up and go home. I think the other teams are spending enough money to be able to have a chance, but City have the most exceptional manager.”
Kai Havertz's goal against Brentford sent Arsenal top of the Premier League on the weekend (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Arsenal win a first Premier League title in 20 years this season? Comment below.
Interestingly, Carragher put his neck out further and backed United to improve enough to be in the conversation for the title. He said: "I’m gonna go with Liverpool and Manchester United. I think Liverpool will come back and I agree with Gary: the jump in terms of really challenging Man City may be a little bit too big – it might still be a little too big for Manchester United.
"But, I do see those two teams. Where Manchester United are going they look really solid. If they get a couple of attacking players and score more goals, that’s what they need to do. Liverpool will invest again in midfield players and they’ve got players who’ve won the biggest trophies before, so I’d say Liverpool and Manchester United."
United are way off the pace, sitting in sixth place, 17 points behind Arsenal and Liverpool after losing 11 of their 28 games. Arsenal, by contrast, have the best attacking record, with 70 goals scored, and the best defensive record, having conceded just 24 times.
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