"We know what happens to Arsenal" - David James snubs Gunners and names his two favorites to win the PL this season
David James backs the Premier League title race to come down to Manchester City and Liverpool, expecting Arsenal to collapse yet again.
The Gunners were in pole position to win their first league title since 2004 at the turn of this year. Mikel Arteta's men held an eight-point lead over City but came off the boil in the final two months, eventually pipped to the post by the Cityzens.
Arsenal look set to mount another title challenge after going to the top of the league on Saturday (November 25). Their 1-0 win against Brentford alongside City's 1-1 draw against Liverpool took Arteta's men to the summit.
However, James expects his former club City to come good in the second half of the season. The Premier League legend told Sky Sports:
"The back end of the season is where City do their work. They will definitely be, if not clear, they'll be there in with a shout."
James feels the Gunners will once again stumble in the race for the title. He backs Pep Guardiola's reigning champions and Jurgen Klopp's Merseysiders to tussle for the Premier League:
"I think obviously Arsenal taking the lead this (past weekend). We know what happens to Arsenal. So I think Liverpool and Man City are gonna shoot this one out."
Arteta's men have made a promising start to the season and have lost just one league game (1-0 vs Newcastle). They beat City 1-0 at the Emirates in October and face Liverpool on December 23.
The Gunners are just a point ahead of the Cityzens after 13 games played. But, some are still doubting their title credentials.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted his side could win the Premier League this season
Arteta admitted he was 'hurt' seeing his troops miss out on the title to City last season. The Spanish tactician was hoping to end a 19-year title drought but came up short in the latter stages of the campaign.
Still, the Gunners boss took positives from his side's admirable showing in the 2022-23 season. He insisted that his men could win the title this time around (via The Athletic):
"That is our ambition. We know the difficulty, it's the best league in the world and next season is going to be the toughest league in Premier League history."
Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019 and he's overseen an incredible transformation at the Emirates. His side were struggling for the top-four when he arrived but they are now title contenders.