Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has identified Manchester United as Arsenal's 'biggest contenders' in the Premier League this season, while his colleague Andy Gray has dismissed Manchester City's title hopes under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Arsenal's Statement Victory and Title Defence
Arsenal sent a clear message to the rest of the division with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday. Riccardo Calafiori scored Arsenal's opener inside 23 seconds, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard adding goals either side of half-time in Cardiff. The win handed Maresca a nightmare start to his City reign.
Mikel Arteta's men ended a 22-year title drought last term and begin their defence at home to newly promoted Coventry City on Friday night. The English champions are brimming with confidence after claiming the first piece of silverware on offer, while landing an early psychological blow on Maresca.
Keys and Gray Assess the Title Race
Previewing the season on the new Keys & Gray Unleashed YouTube channel, Gray, a former Aston Villa and Everton striker, named Arsenal as a 'good shout' for the title but expressed doubts about City. 'I don't fancy Manchester City, there you go. I don't fancy Manchester City with Enzo Maresca,' Gray said. 'Arsenal is a good shout. Liverpool, no. Manchester United are a toss of the coin for me. I'm glad they've kept Michael Carrick, but I don't know who would be Arsenal's biggest contenders.'
Keys, who left his role at beIN SPORTS alongside Gray at the end of last season, was impressed with Michael Carrick's work at United since taking over from Ruben Amorim. When weighing up the 'biggest contenders' to Arsenal, he said: 'I think United because they've had half a season or more, they've settled. I'm not an enormous admirer of Marcus Rashford but I think he's a player and getting him back is a bonus.'
Gray's Concerns Over Chelsea and Aston Villa
Gray struggled to pin down other obvious title challengers but suggested Xabi Alonso could 'surprise everybody' at Chelsea. 'There are so many teams that we just don't know what we're going to get from them and Chelsea are one of the biggest ones for me,' he added. 'Whatever you think of them, they've got a collection of incredibly talented footballers, I don't think you can deny that. They've added Morgan Rogers to the group, a fantastic footballer, and they've got an incredible bunch of footballers there. If Xabi Alonso can bring them together, and that's an if, but if he can bring them together then they might just surprise everybody.'
Villa enjoyed another exceptional campaign last term, finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning their first major trophy in 30 years by clinching the Europa League title. But Gray has concerns about his former club following the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers to Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. 'I'd love to think that Aston Villa could improve again,' he continued. 'But when you lose Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, okay they've bought a couple in… is it going to make them any better? I think no on the surface of it.'
Keys' Warning on Chelsea's Dressing Room
Keys hopes Alonso can oversee a transformation at Chelsea but fears the Spaniard's Stamford Bridge reign could unravel if off-the-pitch problems aren't addressed. 'It's a viper's nest, that dressing room,' he explained. 'Alonso went into one not dissimilar at Real Madrid and he was chewed up, spat out within three months so I hope that it goes better for him at Chelsea. But nobody at Chelsea understands football. It's a joke the way that club has been run, it's a disgrace, it's an absolute disgrace that Roman Abramovich was forced out in the manner that he was. I do hope Alonso can get it going. He would be the only person at Chelsea that understands football. That's probably why when he went in at Chelsea he said, "I want to be the manager because the rest of you haven't got a clue!", and they haven't.'
Arsenal face difficult matches against Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Sunderland following their clash with Coventry, and Arteta will be aware of the challenge that lies ahead for his squad as they aim to defend their title.
