Rooney agrees with Neville’s Premier League title prediction as Arsenal will come under ‘real pressure’

Lewis Oldham
Rooney makes prediction

Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney has joined Gary Neville in predicting that Manchester City will “pip” Arsenal to win the Premier League once again.

The Gunners have hugely surpassed expectations this season as they are mounting a serious challenge for the Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta’s side were beaten 3-1 by Man City last month but the Londoners have recovered brilliantly since this setback. They have won their last five Premier League games to move eight points clear of the holders.

Man City face Liverpool this weekend and they have one game in hand over Arsenal. The top two will face off at the Etihad on April 26 in what could prove to be a title decider.

Arteta’s squad is largely made up of young players who have never been in this position before, while Man City have won the league in four of the past five seasons.

Neville has come under fire from Arsenal fans this season as he has consistently maintained that he thinks Man City will win the league.

Speaking earlier this month, Neville warned Arsenal that he knows “how difficult those last ten games are”.

“Arsenal haven’t proven to me that they can handle the last 10 games of a run-in. They haven’t proven that to me. And when they do, I’ll take my hat off to them and say congratulations,” Neville said.

“But I’m not going to change [my prediction] because I know how difficult those last 10 games are. And they could do it, but I still feel Manchester City have got massive experience and if they hunt them down in that last few weeks it’s tough!

“I’ve been hunted down three or four times and lost, and I’ve hunted other teams down five or six times and won so I know how it feels. If your legs go in that last few weeks it can be two or three weeks to go and it can just turn.”

Rooney has now told Arsenal that they are about to come under “real pressure”.

“I hope Arsenal do win it [but] I think City will pip them to it. It’s going to be intriguing,” Rooney said.

“I think because Arsenal have not been in this position for a long time, and it can be a lot of pressure to go with that. Once you start getting into the last 10 games of the season that’s when the real pressure starts.

“And so I’m really interested to see if they can sustain what they’ve been doing all season.”

On Erling Haaland, Rooney added: “Incredible, a player I love watching. He’s going to break quite a few records that is for sure.”

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