Gary Nevile has a “fear” regarding the title race between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Liverpool exhibited their class against Tottenham Hotspur by beating them 4-2 on Sunday.
But it seems too little, too late for Jurgen Klopp’s side to be considered Premier League title challengers anymore.
Manchester City, who are in second place, having played one fewer game than Arsenal and Liverpool have a four-point lead over the Reds.
Mikel Arteta’s side have a five-point lead over Liverpool.
Klopp and Co. seemingly ran out of steam in the title fight.
But Guardiola and Arteta’s sides seem ready to fight tooth and nail for domestic glory.
Neville says he has a “fear” about the title race between City and Arsenal
The question is whether the title race will go down to the wire.
In the 2021/2022 and 2018/2019 campaigns, Liverpool lost the title to Manchester City by a point but they went down fighting.
However, last season, Arsenal failed to take the title fight down to the wire.
The Gunners’ 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest meant City officially won the title three games before the season came to an end.
In their three subsequent games, the Premier League winners beat Chelsea 1-0, drew 1-1 to Brighton and lost 1-0 to Brentford.
Gary Neville worries that if Manchester City beat Fulham on Saturday, Arsenal will drop points against Manchester United on Sunday.
“If it went to the final day, it means Arsenal have gone and beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford. We can laugh and we can giggle about how Manchester United have been but Arsenal going to Old Trafford and winning, that’s going to be a hell of a win”, he initially said on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast.
Gary Neville added, “I have that fear that the title could be over a week on Tuesday when in terms of sort of the neutrals, I am neutral when it comes to it, I don’t support City or Arsenal but I want the title race to go to the final day, obviously. My fear is it won’t if City win on Saturday against Fulham on Saturday, which I think they will and that United take points off Arsenal on Sunday.”
“Because I think if Arsenal go the last day of the season and they have beaten Manchester United, this is a massive increase in sort of performance level.”
“It is anyway, Arsenal have already proven that they are a different side than last season but I think it just feels like there is an inevitability to it that City will just be perfect towards the end or to the end.”
Manchester City must assume it goes down to the wire
Even if Gary Neville is proven right and Arsenal drop points to Manchester United, Manchester City must assume the title race will go down to the final day, in our view.
If the Gunners lose to United and City beat Fulham, the title will more or less be in the reigning champions’ hands.
But then again, the Sky Blues cannot afford to drop points in their games against Tottenham and West Ham if Arsenal were to bounce back.
As a result, Pep Guardiola’s side must remain single-minded towards taking each day as it comes, even if Manchester United do them a favour at Old Trafford.