Scholes explains why Arsenal are not his Premier League title favourites as dark horse is named | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes insists Manchester City are his Premier League title favourites ahead of Arsenal despite the Gunners lead.

The Citizens beat Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday to reduce the gap to leaders Arsenal to four points after 11 games of the new Premier League season.

Most people had Liverpool as their early Premier League title favourites, especially after they won their first five matches of the new campaign, but since then the Reds have lost five of their last six in the league.

With Liverpool putting up relegation form over the last month, Arsenal have taken control of the Premier League title race but Man City fans will now think they have a chance of winning the league.

And Scholes insists it is Man City’s experience in this situation that has him backing Pep Guardiola’s men to win the title with Arsenal lacking that know-how.

Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: “I’ve not been impressed by City that much but yesterday [against Liverpool], I thought for the first time they’re going to be [challengers]

“I think they’re slightly still favourites ahead of Arsenal, because of what they’ve done.

“I know Arsenal are four points clear, but with the experience they’ve got and Arsenal haven’t. You have to put them [City] slightly ahead of them.”

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler insists the Reds have now “got to win virtually every game” if they want to win the Premier League title.

“I’m more of a realist when it comes to football.

“The manager will come out and say all the right things, don’t get me wrong, you can’t say you’ve given up because that looks terrible from the outside looking in.

“But you’ve got to have a little bit of realism as well because history tells you there’s only been a few team who have won the Premier League on the back of six or seven defeats.

“It’s going to be hard for Liverpool. If Liverpool want to win the league now, they’ve got to win virtually every game. They can’t even draw games, they’ve got to win them.

“I think they’re out of the title but I don’t think they’ll come out and say we’re not it, you’ve got that professionalism, you still need to kick on and get the points.

“I got asked yesterday if Liverpool were out of their rut and I went, ‘don’t be getting carried away’. They beat Aston Villa, for 45 minutes Liverpool weren’t great, then they beat Real Madrid, so it’s only 45 minutes in a league game where they looked relatively okay.”

Scholes added: “Before yesterday, I thought they still had a bit of a chance [to retain the title].

“But you watch yesterday, the way they got beat.”

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has urged the Gunners to look ahead rather than behind them as they look to win their first title since 2004.

Keown told talkSPORT: “Arsenal just need to keep winning their games. They’ve not done an awful lot wrong – they’re top of the Premier League table and the Champions League table as well.

“I don’t think you look over your shoulder, you look ahead, and you go and grasp it and you take the opportunities that are there.

“What you need is a full selection of players to pick from, and they’ve not quite got that at the moment.

“It was an issue not having Gyokeres available and I hope this doesn’t become a story of the No9. Obviously, Haaland is different class, but Arsenal need theirs back on the pitch quickly.”

But Keown has dismissed suggestions it is just a two-horse race for the title and chucked Chelsea’s name in the hat as a possible challenger.

Keown added: “You have to look at Chelsea starting to pick up a little bit. They look like they are starting to become a little bit formidable.”