As Mikel Arteta said after Arsenal won at Wolves “Nobody expected us to be here” and it is absolutely true. No pundit thinks we have a real chance of taking the title, and Gary Neville is no exception, having said last week that “City will win the title by 15 points.”
It would appear that even after Arsenal have gone 5 points clear with Man City having lost to Brentford, he hasn’t exactly changed his mind, but Neville is definitely impressed with Arteta’s young team so far this season.
“I said last week that I think Man City would win the title by 15 points and I am going to hang in there with that prediction,” Neville said on HITC. “Arsenal fans are killing me at the moment. I think they are absolutely fantastic. They are the best team in the league in the first 14 games of the season by a mile.
“I was there for the very first game of the season against Crystal Palace. The first 25 minutes, it was electrifying that football between those front players and they have actually maintained that all the way through.
“They are really, really good, at the moment, Arsenal. They have got a spirit. They have got a togetherness. They have got great football – I don’t think they will win the title. I think Man City will. I do think they will get into the top four.
“I still think it will be interesting come sort of February/March with Arsenal where they end up. I still think there is an element of they still have to prove themselves. I will say it time and time again until they show me different – I think Man City will win the league by 15 points. I genuinely think that. But Arsenal are making me doubt that and that’s a good thing because we want a title race.”
Well, it certainly looks right now like most pundits are putting the title race between us and Pep Guardiola’s incredible team. But how Neville works out that we will end up 15 points behind City with our current form is completely beyond me. Admittedly we have no idea how the World Cup break will affect us, but it is the same for every other Premier League team as well.
Keep the faith!
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Not sure what Nevelle’s up to but the way City are playing, they’ll be lucky to finish top four.
Hey come on ….Garry Nevile makes a lot of sense for a guy who eventually makes his conclusions through his Anus…!
SORRY TO RAIN ON OUR FANTASISTS FANS PARADE. But I agree that City will power away from the pack come JANUARY.
I do hope and believe we will likely be second and not fifteen points away either More likely around eight though.
Of course my heart hopes we win it but my head overrules my silly heart!
Jon
They may well power away from the pack but we are not in the pack. We’re at the top! MC will undoubtedly/most likely get back to winning ways, but as long as we don’t fluff our lines, then City will have a close tussle and just may not overtake us.
No Sue. We ARE in the pack. All teams within twelve points or so are in with a chance of catching us. We ARE definitely in the pack therefore. I think only City will actually overtake us though.
Let’s shake hands on it at the season’s end
Jon I agree with your assessment.
City have a proven mentality and resolve to win the league, something we have not proven as of yet.
I think we will fade a bit as the season goes on and will end up 2nd behind City, somewhere between 5-8 points is my uneducated guess.
We lack the squad depth to sustain this run, and City’s depth and experience will see them overtake us.
I hope I am proven wrong of course, but based on the track record of the 2 teams over time, it is hard to see anything else happening.
Ye of little faith…
Alternatively, “ye of sound intellect and reality”!
Neville has a right to his opinion but I like that because it challenges us to do better.
What is clear is that we are in for the title race. It won’t be 15 points if City wins. It will be less than 5 points.
But I think it will be us the winners not City and that’s if we get a valuable Partey back-up and a stiker.
Thuram should be ok because he plays across the 3 positions in the attack. Jesus is the motivating force for the whole team and we need a good back-up.
Nketia hasn’t gotten the momentum which he displayed at the end of the season. So, he has become doubtful. He has had enough minutes to prove himself but he is not doing it.
Look at Gamacho for ManU. He is gradually staging a claim for a spot in the starting line up after coming from the bench and helping them to 2 crucial victories.
Unless city go on a ridiculous win streak or we suffer a massive loss of form i dont see us finishing 15 pts off them. I see us finishing above 80 pts so even if city hits the afterburners and finish with 90 pts it would be a good season.
City also don’t seem as strong as before. last season they dropped 11 pts to small teams in a straight shootout with liverpool, this season they have already dropped 7.
The fitness of Partey and Haaland will be the clutch title-decider i believe, if either get a medium/long term injury, there will be massive drop of quality.
If Haaland stays fit Man City will win the Premiership.
The player that they City got we don’t have is Halaan,apart from that we got all they have
Neville must be a very confident guy. For city to win the league by 15 points margin, they have to win all their remaining games while Arsenal has to loose at least 7 of the 24 remaining games.