Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero has refused to rule Newcastle United out of the Premier League title race. As it stands, the Magpies are 11 points behind Arsenal - despite playing a game more.
Every Toon supporter, whether they were around at the time or not, knows all too well the danger of getting complacent at this stage of the season. Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle side were 12 points clear in January 1996 and, well, everybody knows what happened next…
The Gunners are chasing down their first league title since 2004 and are yet to show any signs of slowing down. A last-minute win over Manchester United convinced many that Arsenal are now firm favourites to lift the trophy in May.
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While Aguero, who scored 12 goals in 14 league games against Newcastle, believes Mikel Arteta’s side are in a strong position, he is not dismissing the Magpies’ chances. He told Stake.com: “As things stand, it's going to either Arsenal, City or United. Newcastle can't be discounted either, they played a great first half of the tournament.
“Over the last few years, City have known how to keep on the pulse of the Premier League. We can't forget how our races with Liverpool over the last few years were decided by a razor-thin margin. City's experience with this will play a big part.
“As the leader, you can't shake off the feeling that there's a rival hot on your track, catching up to you. Arsenal's team is younger and will have to deal with that pressure. They are solid today, but we'll have to watch until the final stretch. A good example is what happened to City in 2012, eight points below United, and we managed to lift up the trophy in the last leg.”
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