Ex-Manchester City player and manager Stuart Pearce says he is backing Arsenal, not his former club, to finish top of the table this season.
Speaking to William Hill‘s No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the 61-year-old said he was hesitant about naming Pep Guardiola’s side as favourites for the title again after their treble campaign and, with the Gunners now sitting in first, he believes the Gunners can go all the way, despite their tough fixture list:
“Before the start of the season, I said that I wasn’t sure who would win the Premier League this season, but that it wouldn’t be Manchester City. I said that on the grounds that teams will eventually reach their peak, like they did in winning the Champions League last year, then there has to be a drop-off of some description. Now we find ourselves in mid-April with City third in the league. If someone at the start of the season would’ve said that they’d be third in April, everyone would’ve said ‘no chance’.”
“If I had to pick a team to win the league right now, it would be Arsenal. They have a tough run-in and they have to go to Manchester United and Tottenham, but they’re not conceding goals at the moment. I also think they’ll have learnt from their mistakes last year.”
Arsenal’s defensive record has been the backbone of their title challenge
Pearce is right to point to the Gunners’ defence as their main strength. Mikel Arteta’s team have conceded just 24 times in 31 league games this campaign. The second-best defensive record is Liverpool’s (who have let in 30 goals).
Gabriel and William Saliba’s centre-back partnership has been crucial, as has the presence of Declan Rice who has provided an excellent screen for the back four.
