Graeme Souness believes Manchester City’s experience could prove decisive in their bid to overtake Arsenal and claim the Premier League title this season. The Citizens have been closing the gap in recent weeks and currently sit just two points behind the Gunners, capitalising on Arsenal’s struggle to maintain consistent form.
The Race for the Title
In the coming weeks, City could move ahead of Arsenal, a development that would not be unexpected given the natural fluctuations in form that occur over the course of a season. While both clubs are likely to experience peaks and troughs, City’s experience may allow them to maintain their position at the top for a longer period. This could ultimately position them as strong favourites to lift the trophy.
At present, the title race involves three clubs, with Aston Villa also in contention. However, Souness has highlighted City’s advantage, emphasising the benefit of a squad familiar with winning league championships. Many of City’s players have previously experienced title success, providing them with confidence and composure in high-pressure situations, a quality Arsenal’s younger stars have yet to fully acquire.
Experience as a Key Factor
Speaking to the Metro, Souness explained, “When you’ve won the title and you’ve won a title a few times, you have unbelievable belief in yourself and the players you’re sitting in the dressing room with. Arsenal have not got that. City have got that. Villa have not got that. So, City will be full of confidence. They’ll be thinking, ‘We’ll win this. Someone will bottle it. We’ll beat Arsenal when we play them, we’ll beat Villa when we play them again, and we’ll win the league’.”
While Arsenal remain in strong contention, the advantage of having a squad seasoned in championship victories may ultimately give Manchester City the edge in the race for Premier League glory this season.
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Arsenal will
Not be champions. I have said it all season.
Reason? Arteta.
His style of play, his approach , all to negative.
We will be 2nd going into the New Yea
That’s absolute fact. Unless Arteta changes to a high speed passing football Arsenal will not win any trophy. Arteta’s football is too conservative and too cautious. Such tactics is limiting the attacking players in the squad. Odegard delays too much with the ball and Arteta seems not to notice it.
If you have the likes of Eze, Saka, Gyoks, Odegaard, Trosaad, Martinelli, Rice, Zubi, Merino in one team and the team can not score at least two goals in open play then the coach is terrible!!!
We will know come the end of May who are champs and who are second.
I hope a gap opens up, because City have walked us down every time before, so evidence and experience would favor them not us.
And the world is round.
If Arsenal go on winning 3 or 4 matches in a row, these pundits reverse back and claim the title is Arsenal’s to lose. Conversely if City lose consecutively they also are there to declare Arsenal Champions elect by January.
Exactly. Pundits have to say controversial things to get attention.
There will be ups and downs, we might fall behind for a few weeks, and then open up a 6 point lead again with Havertz banging them in.
C’est la Prem.
Pfff. It’s not “experience of winning leagues” that wins you leagues, though it probably helps a bit.
It’s just consistently adding points over time , as boring as that sounds. A good defence to keep GA down, plus scoring goals, in every kind of match, against every kind of opponent.
Man City under Pep are very good at that, especially historically in the second half of seasons. Arsenal, less so.
As I see it, how we improve our points tally will likely involve a change that finally will become possible in January. Dropping Gyokeres in favour of Havertz (and Jesus) up front, and always in matches against teams that play with a low block. In these games, Gyok takes too many touches and loses the ball far too much, twice as often as Havertz or Jesus. He takes longer to shoot. He’s not right for those opponents, and most teams in the EPL play like that against us.
It’s not the only change that needs to be made, but it’s becoming one of the most vital.