Title Race Heats Up After Manchester City Statement Victory
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has identified the two teams he believes can still prevent Arsenal from winning the Premier League title this season, following Manchester City's emphatic 3-0 victory over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
The crucial match played on Sunday, November 9th 2025, marked Pep Guardiola's 1,000th game as a manager and saw his City side deliver a commanding performance against the defending champions.
Controversial Moments Define Etihad Clash
The game began dramatically when Erling Haaland broke the deadlock with a deflected header, shortly after seeing his penalty saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool thought they had equalised through Virgil van Dijk, but his header was controversially ruled out for offside, leaving manager Arne Slot furious with the decision.
City doubled their advantage just before half-time when Nico Gonzalez rifled home their second goal, compounding Liverpool's frustration. After the break, Liverpool showed some improvement but any hopes of a comeback were dashed when player of the match Jeremy Doku curled in a brilliant third for the hosts.
The defeat leaves Slot's side in a concerning eighth position in the Premier League table, eight points adrift of early pacesetters Arsenal, who had their ten-game winning run ended by a 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.
Neville's Title Race Assessment
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville admitted that while Arsenal have been the standout team this season, Manchester City's victory positions them as the primary challengers. City now sit just four points behind the league leaders, giving them crucial momentum heading into the international break.
'I thought today was about which of these two clubs was going to emerge as Arsenal's nearest challengers and could they send a message to the Gunners?' Neville told Sky Sports. 'Pep Guardiola, in his 1000th game as a manager, his team and his staff, have done that.'
On his Sky Sports podcast, Neville expanded on his analysis: 'They're four points off Arsenal, they've got experience and they've got players who have been around the block and know how to win titles. He will just want to hang on Mikel Arteta's shoulder by March because he's the one you don't want near you.'
Despite Liverpool's poor performance and position, Neville refused to completely rule them out of the title conversation. 'I'm going to say yes,' he responded when asked if Liverpool could still be considered contenders. 'If it clicked something could happen. They've got firecrackers and world-class players in that dressing room.'
Arsenal's Bump in the Road
Arsenal would have enjoyed a six-point cushion during the November international break had it not been for Sunderland's injury-time equaliser at the Stadium of Light. However, Neville downplayed the significance of this setback for Mikel Arteta's side.
'I wasn't sat there thinking it was a huge blow for Arsenal,' he added. 'I actually thought it was a game that might catch them out a bit. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and there's going to bumps along the road.'
The former England defender emphasised that dropping points is normal in the Premier League and backed Arsenal to recover strongly after the international break, despite the growing threat from an experienced Manchester City side that knows exactly how to win titles.
