Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has delivered a stark verdict on the Premier League title race, insisting only two teams are genuine contenders and ruling out the surprise package of the season.
Neville Draws the Line at the Top Two
Speaking on his podcast, the former Manchester United defender stated he is "drawing a line beneath the top-two" in the table, effectively dismissing Aston Villa's remarkable challenge. Despite Villa winning ten consecutive matches and sitting just one win behind the leaders, Neville believes the title will be fought between Arsenal and Manchester City.
"Aston Villa are there and should be respected but they're not going to win the league. I would be amazed if that happened," Neville declared. "A lot would have to go wrong for Arsenal and Man City for Aston Villa to win the league."
Why Arsenal Are Tipped for Glory
Neville has consistently backed Mikel Arteta's side this season and expects them to end their two-decade wait for the Premier League crown. Arsenal will be top at Christmas, holding a two-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City.
The pundit admitted the Gunners have had to scrap for results recently, like in their 1-0 win at Everton, but is not concerned. He predicts a significant surge in the New Year. "I actually feel like they're going to extend their lead in February and March and get a five or six-point cushion again," he said.
Neville identified the main threat to Arsenal's charge: "Man City are obviously. They've got Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola, someone very special on the pitch and someone very special on the bench. That's the biggest threat to Arsenal other than them getting injuries to [Declan] Rice and a couple of other players."
Villa's Dream Meets Pundit Reality Check
Neville's comments contrast with the growing excitement around Unai Emery's Aston Villa. Their latest victory, a 2-0 win over Manchester United secured by a Morgan Rogers brace on Sunday, was their tenth in a row, cementing their place in the top three.
Other pundits have encouraged the dream. After the win at Villa Park, Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I tell you what, why not Aston Villa for the Premier League title? If you're a Villa fan, why not dream?"
Fellow analyst Sue Smith added: "You cannot say that they're not in a title race because they just keep doing it. We keep saying they've got a test, they've got another test, but they just keep passing them."
Despite this, Neville remains unmoved, focusing on the final stretch. "What's going to be really interesting is how they handle it once they get to March, April, May," he said of Arsenal. "But I think it's their year even though they're getting closed down a bit."
The title race resumes after the festive period. Arsenal face a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Tuesday, while Manchester City play Nottingham Forest on December 27. Aston Villa, aiming to prove Neville wrong, travel to face Club World Cup champions Chelsea.
