Chelsea legend on Arsenal's title chances, says what Gunners can't afford to do on Sunday

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has said that Arsenal are still slight favourites to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title this campaign.

The Gunners are currently five points ahead of the Cityzens at the top of the table, but the latter have a game in hand against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal could have been seven points in front instead, but they conceded a costly equaliser at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

Mikel Arteta’s side responded to the Wolves setback with a convincing 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur away from home last weekend.

Nevin has now said that Arsenal are still slight favourites to lift a long-awaited league title, considering the squad depth at the north London giants.

He said in an interview with BestBettingSites: “Arsenal will be looking at it and thinking, yes, we’re all right at the moment.

“We’re up there. It’s still in their own hands, as I believe it is for Manchester City as well. If you’re a player, you should be thinking this is a great place to be.

“Does it make them massive favourites? I still think they’re slight favourites, because of the depth of the squad more than anything else.

“But City are looking better than they have at any point this season. They’re getting better all the time and you suspect that’s going to continue into the run-in.”

Nevin added that Chelsea can’t sit back against the Gunners in the upcoming London derby, given their difficult schedule ahead and the strong competition for the Champions League spots this season.

He believes Arsenal can’t afford to lose the game either. It’s a huge fixture for the Gunners, and Nevin feels anything less than a victory over the Blues at the Emirates won’t be a great result for the club.

He added: “I don’t think Chelsea can sit back with their backs against the wall against Arsenal. I think they have to come out in this one and have a go.

“For Arsenal, it’s huge. How many points can you afford to lose between now and the end of the season? Not many.

“A draw would not be a great result for Arsenal. It’s that tight. It’s that difficult. They need the win. Simple as that.”

Arsenal are unbeaten in the last 10 meetings against the Blues in all competitions. This includes seven wins and three draws. They recently won both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Despite the dominance, the Gunners must be wary of the Blues, who have plenty to play for too. The west London outfit are in a potential must-win situation in their Champions League pursuit.

They are already three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, and the gap could extend to six if the Red Devils beat Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in the earlier kick-off on Sunday. Liverpool could also go three points clear of the Blues in fifth with a victory over West Ham United.

Arsenal’s only home loss this season came against United, who were on a long winless league streak (club meetings). Hence, the Gunners can’t take things for granted and must turn up with a strong display.

It should be a more open affair than the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, where the Blues preferred to play with a low-block until the hour mark before trying to change things.

Both teams will be going for three points on Sunday. The Arsenal faithful will hope the players can continue their dominance in the London derby with another victory at the Emirates.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

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