Arsene Wenger believes key Manchester City man's absence could help Arsenal in the PL title race
Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has cited a key advantage the Gunners have over Manchester City in this season's Premier League title race.
The retired French manager believes Kevin De Bruyne's absence will be detrimental to Pep Guardiola's side's title hopes this term. He also praised his former club for their transfer activity in recent years.
Wenger said on former Arsenal star David Seaman's podcast on YouTube (as quoted by The Mirror):
“I felt they [Arsenal] invested serious money in the last four years, they invested a lot of money, but I must say they invested it well. They still have a young team, a talented team. I think they learned from what happened to them last year. They couldn’t cope well with that, mentally it was very difficult. I’m sure they would’ve learned from that."
Ilkay Gundogan left Manchester City this summer to join Barcelona on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract.
Referencing the German international's departure, Wenger added:
“I believe as well that City having lost De Bruyne for a long period and Gundogan, who was a very important player, even if they are a top team I don’t disagree with that, but maybe they can take advantage of it. But we have to deal with the Champions League, so that costs points as well.”
De Bruyne has seen just 23 minutes of Premier League action this season. The Belgian midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Burnley on August 12.
"The rest? I don’t think they can" - David Silva claims Arsenal 'are the only team' that can challenge Manchester City in the PL title race
Former Manchester City star David Silva has given his two cents on the Premier League title race this season. The retired Spanish midfielder believes Arsenal are the only club that can challenge Guardiola's men in the title race.
The Cityzens have seen massive success in the English top tier under the Spanish manager in recent years. Guardiola has led Manchester City to five league titles during his time at the Etihad.
They faced adversity during the 2022–23 campaign, when Arsenal emerged as fresh and strong title contenders, dominating the top of the league for the majority of the season.
However, Manchester City were able to defend their crown after the Gunners suffered a string of losses in April that saw them slip up in the title race.
Silva delivered his verdict on the title race and said (via Metro):
"This is Pep’s eighth season at City. The first year he was getting used to the Premier League, but now they are almost unstoppable. Arsenal are the only team I can see who maybe have a chance of challenging City. The rest? I don’t think they can."