EPL: Neville Says Man City and Liverpool Can Still Challenge Arsenal for Title

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has identified Manchester City and Liverpool as the teams most capable of denying Arsenal the Premier League title this season.

Speaking on Sky Sports after City’s 3–0 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, Neville said he had initially considered Liverpool the biggest challengers but admitted he underestimated Manchester City’s potential.

City went ahead through Erling Haaland’s header, before Nico Gonzalez doubled their lead with a deflected effort just before halftime. Jeremy Doku sealed the victory with a brilliant curling strike from outside the box.

The defeat leaves Liverpool eighth in the league, eight points behind Arsenal, while Manchester City are four points behind the Gunners.

Despite Liverpool’s inconsistent form, Neville refused to rule them out entirely.

“I thought the biggest challenger to title favourites Arsenal would be Liverpool. I thought Man City were too inconsistent, but it looks like I was badly wrong,” he said.
“They’ve still got to convince me that they’re going to win the title — Arsenal are the better team — but they’re the one team and the one manager you wouldn’t want on your shoulder going down the home straight.”

When pressed on whether Liverpool could still be considered contenders, Neville added:

“I’m going to say yes. If it clicked, something could happen. They’ve got firecrackers and world-class players in that dressing room.”

With Arsenal leading the table, both City and Liverpool remain dangerous opponents capable of mounting a serious challenge as the season progresses.