In a season where the Premier League title race has been nothing short of electrifying, former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas has thrown his support behind Arsenal, touting them as favourites over Manchester City.
The top-flight battle has seen Arsenal assert themselves at the summit with an impressive 18-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. However, Manchester City have chipped away at Arsenal’s lead, narrowing the gap to just two points. Recent stumbles by the Gunners against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Aston Villa stand in stark contrast to City’s relentless momentum, keeping Mikel Arteta’s men on edge.
Nonetheless, Jenas maintains that Arsenal possess the edge. “I do think Arsenal are still favourites. I’ve been saying it from the start of the season. I think they’ve got the best team,” Jenas shared with 10bet, confident in the strength of Arsenal’s squad despite recent defensive vulnerabilities in the absence of Saliba and Gabriel. The duo’s anticipated return should, according to Jenas, solidify Arsenal’s foundations once more.
City’s recent performances have certainly laid down the gauntlet, with Pep Guardiola’s side putting Arsenal’s resolve to the test. “City are going to push Arsenal to see if they’ve learned any lessons, but I believe they have and I think they’ll get over the line this time,” Jenas remarked, although he did acknowledge his “only worry” regarding Arsenal’s ability to withstand the relentless pressure applied by City.
Reflecting on City’s tenacity, Jenas noted, “City have the ability right now to go on the type of unbeaten runs that they’ve gone on in the past to really apply that pressure.” Yet, he expressed faith in Arsenal’s capacity to manage the title race tension and come out on top, despite the Gunners’ narrow victories often leaving them precariously positioned.
Jenas elaborated on his concerns, “The only thing I would say about Arsenal that worries me a little bit is that they don’t seem to be blowing teams away. It’s always like a one-nil, two-nil type of situation where you’re always putting yourself under pressure doing that.”
Even if Arsenal find themselves trailing City by New Year’s Day, Jenas believes the lessons of past seasons and moments of luck could see them triumph in this year’s title race.