Arsenal continue to prove their Premier League title-winning credentials as they beat Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. A brace from Eddie Nketiah and a stunner from Bukayo Saka saw the Gunners earn a last-gasp 3-2 win against Erik ten Hag's side.
United remain the only team to have beaten Mikel Arteta's side in the Premier League this season as Arsenal got revenge for their 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign. The Gunners have dropped a total of seven points from 19 games and now sit five points ahead of Manchester City, with a game in hand that could see them move eight points clear of the reigning champions.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has backed Arsenal to keep up their good form and win the Premier League in his mid-season predictions. Gary Neville is sticking with his initial prediction that City will retain their title, with the former United defender receiving stick from Gunners fans because of his opinion.
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Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football show, the two pundits offered their mid-season predictions and made some big claims regarding Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard and manager Mikel Arteta. Carragher said: "I think the thing with Arsenal is not just the points gap, it's their performance in big games.
"If you go back to the World Cup finishing, they obliterated Brighton, drew with Newcastle, the best defence in the league, although they only just got over the line (against Manchester United on Sunday). We’re all expecting City to kick on, they will, but once they start getting to March and April I cant help but think those City players know that if they win the Champions League it won't matter that they wont win the league."
A frustrated Neville responded: "I get asked this every 10 minutes at the moment. Even Arsenal fans, they must get tired of asking these questions.
"It's too far out to be thinking about the title. Going back to my own experience, I think City are still messing about, they haven't really started this season yet, when they start to purr they will hunt Arsenal down.
"That doesn’t always work. Blackburn held us (Neville's Manchester United) off, Newcastle didn’t. The run in doesn’t start until nine games in.
"I’ve done three Arsenal games since the World Cup and I've been impressed every time. Forget the first half against Tottenham, they managed it really well in the second half. On Sunday they responded to going a goal down and persisted with their football all the way through.
"I’ve been massively impressed with them, but with young players I won’t believe it until the end of the season. I am amazed they're in the conversation."
Carragher and Neville believe City star Erling Haaland will win the Player of the Year award following his incredible goal scoring form in his debut season, but the ex-Liverpool defender was quick to pick out Odegaard as a contender. "Odegaard has been fantastic this year," Carragher said.
"If Arsenal win the title, the role of Odegaard will be vital. Arsenal have been fortunate with injuries.
"If they get two or three players out at the same time I don’t think they’ll gel across the team. If I was Arteta, I’d forget the Europa League. They will not be in this position next season."
Both pundits also backed Arteta to win the Manager of the Year award following the Gunners' immense performances so far this season. It shows just how far the Spaniard and his players have come since the end of last season when many, including Carragher and Neville, felt that Arteta would be sacked for missing out on a top four spot.
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