Gary Neville makes title race prediction as Manchester City pose familiar threat to Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester United legend and current Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has issued his latest verdict on a hotly-contested title race between Manchester City and Arsenal.

The conclusion of matchday 16 of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign saw Manchester City secure a hard-fought 3-0 win against Crystal Palace to keep up the pressure on table toppers Arsenal, who scraped past against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The results mean that the gap between Arsenal and City is still just two points, though the in-form Blues are in a much better run of form and now boast a superior goal difference to the Gunners, which could prove crucial as the title race progresses.

Pep Guardiola’s side have returned to their very best in recent weeks, winning each of their last five games in all competitions, most notably overturning a one-goal deficit to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League group-phase last week.

City are seven points better off in the Premier League than they were at this stage last term, having scored 10 goals more and conceded seven goals fewer than the equivalent stage in the 2024-25 campaign, which Guardiola deemed his most challenging season at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to Sky Sports Premier League after this weekend’s games, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville predicted whether Manchester City can go from strength to strength and build on their recent momentum to once again pip Arsenal to the title.

“Manchester City have got (Erling) Haaland, Pep (Guardiola), a few more players who have got real quality and experience. They’re probably smelling a little bit of blood; ‘We’re on your (Arsenal’s) shoulder, we’re coming, we’re going to be there in March, April – can you handle this?’,” Neville said.

“I think they (Arsenal) are a better team than City and proved that in the first few months. But City are dangerous. They’ve got that manager who is a prolific winner, a striker (Haaland) who is absolutely world class – the player in the league that’s absolutely standout, a dream, what a player! They’ve got really dangerous characteristics, talent, potential to cause upsets.”

Interestingly, Neville highlighted Haaland and Guardiola as City’s key figures on more than one occasion – but key to their recent good form have been other players making important contributions, such as a rejuvenated Phil Foden.

Having scored six times in his last four Premier League games, Foden has rediscovered the form that saw him named the 2023-24 PFA Players’ Player of the Year; whilst Rayan Cherki has been at his creative best and is now Manchester City’s top assist maker despite making just six league starts for the Blues, whom he joined for £34 million from Lyon in June.

In defence, Guardiola looks to have solved the full-back issues that plagued City at points last campaign, with Nico O’Reilly being named Player of the Match against Real Madrid – against whom the Manchester City academy graduate scored his first-ever European goal – and Matheus Nunes making the right-back position his own in recent months.

Despite taking a fairly positive stance towards City overall, Neville’s conclusion is less optimistic. “I still think it (the Premier League title) is Arsenal’s (to lose)”, the former Manchester United defender added.

“Arsenal have got to get themselves mentally right for the next four or five months, such a huge moment for the club – and I still think they’ll do it.”

There is no doubt that Arsenal’s squad possesses much more quality and experience than it did in their recent attempts to challenge City for the title. Despite the dressing room overhaul at the Etihad Stadium in the last 12 months, Guardiola has retained a core of players who are experienced title winners.

As Guardiola alluded to a couple of weeks ago, going on a good run over the winter period, in which there are no international breaks, could be the key to City’s success this season. The Blues can register their berth in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday as they welcome Keith Andrews and Brentford to the Etihad Stadium.