Gary Neville believes that in order for Liverpool and Arsenal to win the Premier League, they must overcome Manchester City. However, he admits that “the Jurgen Klopp factor” could be a deciding factor.
On March 10, two of the Premier League’s form sides will face off at Anfield, with the Reds hosting Pep Guardiola’s outfit. The defending champions and Jurgen Klopp’s squad are separated by one point.
Following a 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, City closed the deficit at the top of the league with goals from Phil Foden. Arsenal will play away to struggling Sheffield United on Monday, giving them the opportunity to cut the deficit to four points from second-place Manchester and five points behind Liverpool.
According to Neville, if Liverpool and Arsenal want to beat City and win the title, they must win their next games against each other.
“Liverpool and Arsenal must believe they can defeat Manchester City,” said the Premier League manager. I truly feel that in order to create such a significant shift in City’s belief that they will win the league, they must think in that way.
I always remember the team that won the title coming to Old Trafford and beating us, whether it was Chelsea with Carlo Ancelotti, Sylvain Wiltord, or Mark Overmars scoring. They surprised us not by arriving to Old Trafford and performing well or even gaining a point.
“It is ominous at this moment in time, and I think that is what Liverpool and Arsenal will have to do to take the belief away from this Pep Guardiola team,” he said.
Liverpool is a lively and energetic team, and Klopp deserves credit for that. Arsenal is currently the best defensive squad, and they have found their offensive stride.
“City has the most experience. They all have one thing in common. All three will be disclosed here. Can City repeat and win this time? Does Arsenal have what it takes to succeed this season? Ten games into the final stretch, they had been absolutely outplayed. Yes, it is that time again.
Witnessing Arsenal’s progress has always made me wish we could be in the same situation as City. In my opinion, [William] Saliba and [Declan] Rice have contributed to their development. They have improved and gained strength since last year.
The next few games will reveal the true nature of these teams, and I, for one, cannot wait. They must attempt to depose City, who acts as a barometer. You can’t claim that “well City might drop points at that ground” if you aren’t successfully defeating them. If Liverpool and Arsenal are to be considered, they must beat them.
