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Wayne Rooney made a bold claim about Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League following Sunday’s disastrous 2-1 defeat at rivals Manchester City.
Despite the Gunners losing their place at the top of the table, the Manchester United legend remains convinced Mikel Arteta’s side are still favorites to lift the trophy.
Kai Havertz canceled out Rayan Cherki’s superb opener, and Erling Haaland’s clinical goal in the 65th minute gave City a big win at the Etihad Stadium.
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The result means City could move level on points with Arsenal if they win against Burnley this Wednesday, with many believing momentum has now shifted decisively to Manchester.
Rooney supports Arsenal to Premier League title
On Match of the Day, Rooney offered a surprising perspective, claiming the race was far from its foreseen conclusion.
He claimed that despite City’s relentless run of form, the pressure of the ‘last spurt’ often led to unintended consequences.
“This title fight is not over yet. I feel there are still many twists and turns to come,” Rooney told MOTD.
“It’s obviously going to be a close game, but City have one more game to try to win, so I still keep Arsenal as slim favorites to win.”
Rooney cited his experience as a five-time Premier League champion to explain why.
“I myself have been in situations where I had to win every match to win the title. I would look at my matches and think, ‘Oh, I have to win this or that match,’ but it never works out that way.”
Can Mikel Arteta handle the pressure?
As the season enters its final five weeks, the focus shifts to the psychological resilience of both teams.
Arsenal are aiming for their first league title in 22 years, while Pep Guardiola’s City are chasing their seventh crown in nine seasons.
The challenge for Arteta is to prevent a repeat of the past breakdowns that have given him a reputation as a ‘bridesmaid’.
City, on the other hand, have found themselves in similar situations several times in recent years and have come out on top each time.
With a tough game against Newcastle United coming up next, the Gunners must rediscover the clinical edge that gave up on them at the Etihad and prove Rooney right.
