06 February 2023 , 22:14
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Gary Neville reckons that "it's not ridiculous" to back Manchester United for the Premier League title.
Erik ten Hag's side earned a hard-fought win at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, coming away 2-1 victors after midfield general Casemiro was sent off midway through the second half. Earlier that day, league-leaders Arsenal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at relegation-battling Everton, before reigning champions Manchester City slumped to a dire 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The weekend's surprise results prompted Neville to reassess United's title hopes, having gone down 3-2 losers against Arsenal a fortnight ago, which many considered to be fatal to their chances of winning a first title since 2013. "Are we in with a chance again?" the Red Devils legend began on his Sky Sports podcast.
"Look, I don't think Manchester United will get there, I think they will fall short. They're just not quite there and the Christian Eriksen injury will hurt, but they're doing really, really well and they're competing again. They look happy, too, and that’s a really big thing. You need that. From that point of view, United are doing well.
"It's not ridiculous to say they could win the title. I don't think they will and I've never thought they will this season because it's a bit early for that, but I would be getting worried if I was Manchester City. The fans will start getting worried now with the way they're playing and the way Pep Guardiola is tinkering with the team.
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"United look a happy bunch; City look a bit moody and need to come out of that spell. Man City could easily still win the league but Man United are in a good position, too."
Have your say! Do Man Utd stand a chance of winning the Premier League title? Join the debate in the comments section.
Manchester United won over the weekend as Arsenal and Man City lost (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)While Arsenal remain in pole position with an eight-point advantage over third-placed United, the Gunners have lost two consecutive games in all competitions which threatens to halt their momentum. Meanwhile, City are going through arguably their most difficult period since Guardiola's early days in charge nearly seven years ago.
Neville's former side are the only Premier League team to still be in four competitions and face a packed schedule between now and May. Manager Ten Hag welcomes the challenging run, though, recently saying: "I don't complain. We know what the fixture schedule is, we have to deal with this.
"At clubs, we have to set squads and squads are big enough to deal with it and I think players like to play. You can build and construct a good team when you play often and, in my perspective, when you play often the same, you are getting the routines in."