Gary Neville says Arsenal title chances are up as Liverpool star disagrees

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Arsenal must look ahead to a new week and its impending challenges after a weekend of misery in the Premier League title race.

Last Wednesday confidence in catching leaders Liverpool had grown after they had dropped points at Aston Villa. With them having played a game extra, Arsenal could have reduced the points difference to five with their game against West Ham.

But Mikel Arteta's side faltered and allowed the Hammers to escape with a marginal victory, all whilst Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off.

Their rivals then went to the Etihad Stadium to play Manchester City on Sunday and the current champions were no match for their visitors.

So, as it stands, this latest twist means Liverpool remain one match ahead in the schedule but now with a commanding 11-point advantage, possibly reduced back to eight by a game in hand, and there is three months of the season to go.

Pundits and players alike have had their say on this course events, which football.london is ready to analyse in the build-up to Arsenal's midweek fixture vs Nottingham Forest.

Neville ends the title race

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, speaking at the Etihad Stadium after Sunday's match on his eponymous podcast, was asked if Liverpool have already beaten the Gunners to this season's title.

"They haven't won it, obviously, but they have, yeah," was his honest response.

Expanding, he added: "The last two or three years I've got in debates with other people maybe around that Arsenal didn't need to come here and win. You do.

"You do have to come here and win, I've always felt that. When you try and take a title off someone, you try and ram it home that you are worthy title winners, you need to go and do something different.

"What they've done here today, Liverpool, is not just go 11 points clear which puts them in an incredible position but psychologically you feel unbeatable after a game like today.

"That's a game that Arsenal have to win - they have to go to five points, they must. I said a few weeks ago, all Arsenal need to do is make sure they're there in case Liverpool slip up. They're not there.

"Liverpool slip up twice, three times and Arsenal have to win every single match so it's getting more and more difficult by the week. It's a significant day in this title race."

football.london says:We're in February - nothing is settled yet. Like a number of pundits after the weekend's matches, Neville is seriously getting carried away.

But he is at least correct to say that Arsenal are in control of whether the league leaders are under pressure or not, and at this current moment in time they are failing in this task. Opportunities are running out week-by-week so it begs the question, where can the points be made up?

There is certainly one fixture - when they go to Anfield in May. Otherwise, they may be relying on rivals Chelsea and Spurs for a helping hand.

The situation is entirely out of their hands, no matter the outcome of the game in hand, so it is a very bleak picture being painted at this time.

Jones responds

Even if former players say the Gunners are done for, those leading the title charge are ignoring them. Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones followed the match at Man City by reaffirming his teammates have full focus on their overriding challenge up against the Gunners, without actually paying them any attention.

"Yeah, it's a great week but it's just each game as it comes. We just have to win all our games and we'll be fine. If teams around us lose games, drop points and draw, then that's with them," he told Premier League Productions.

"Our thoughts and our minds are just 'win every single game'. We just go there, we run, we don't think 'ah yeah, we've got games spare, points to play with'. It's never that. Each game that comes we just take care of it as a whole team.

"At the end of the game there Virg [van Dijk] has just spoke and basically said the same thing - each game as it comes, make sure we win all of our games and it'll be fine."

football.london says: Nothing less can be expected of Liverpool's players after such a result - no need to get carried away.

Maybe after the weekend they will feel more relaxed about the situation with the double-digit points advantage opening up, but I would have put money on them feeling a good amount of pressure after those dropped points at Everton and Villa this month.

That's what makes it more of a shame the Gunners aren't actually holding up their end of the bargain and making this a tighter contest.

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