The winner of Sunday’s top-of-the-table match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium will hope to win the Premier League in May.
Such is the importance of the big clash between the two of the top three Premier League teams at the moment.
The Gunners will be feeling relatively confident going into the possible league decider, having previously defeated Pep Guardiola’s team this season, but Alan Shearer isn’t sure they have what it takes to cross the finish line considering their inexperience.
According to the Premier League legend, Man City will win the league again because they are accustomed to winning it after winning it the previous three seasons, which gives them a significant advantage over Arsenal and Liverpool.
“This is why my instinct is to make Manchester City favourites to win it now, even though they’re third in the table, a point behind the other two,” Shearer wrote in The Athletic.
“They’re more familiar with this position. No side has ever won four consecutive Premier League titles but the track record they have is precious. If you’ve done it before, you understand defeat isn’t a disaster; you trust yourself and each other and draw upon your knowledge. If you’re new to it or less versed in it, hesitation can fester.
“It won’t be perfection for City, Liverpool and Arsenal over the next two months because life is rarely like that. It’s about learning to live with those hiccups — it’s not the end of the world, so you move on.”
Arsenal have title race experience from last season
Arsenal will be full of confidence going into the final ten games of the season, and a win at Etihad will be a great boost for them, despite what Shearer believes.
The Gunners will not be deterred as long as their star players stay healthy and are not suspended, even if they still have away games against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and a home match against Chelsea.
Arsenal have improved from last season and have the resources and experience to keep up their current form.
Arteta has the chance to enter the history books at Arsenal
They cannot afford to lose this incredible opportunity to finally win the title for the first time since 2004.
Since Arsene Wenger made them Invincibles, the Gunners have failed to win the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta has gotten close to winning the league again and this time, Guardiola and Klopp both stand in his way.