Premier League title race: Ex-Arsenal star delivers bottling verdict as "unthinkable” Man City leapfrog Mikel Arteta

Former Arsenal and Manchester City forward Paul Dickov has rejected the Gunners' bottling tag and lavished praise on City's ruthlessness.

The Premier League title race took a significant twist, with Man City's 2-1 win at the Etihad against Mikel Arteta's Londoners last weekend, as well as their win against Burnley on Wednesday, seeing them leapfrog the Gunners into first place due to goals scored.

Many fans and pundits have accused Arsenal of being "bottlers", arguing that they have yet again thrown away the title despite previously being in an advantageous position.

Dickov strongly pushed back against that sentiment, exclusively telling Sports Mole: "Rather than calling Arsenal bottlers, I would like to look at Man City as serial winners, and see it more as City never giving up.

"If you look back to even a few weeks ago, it would have been unthinkable that City would have been back in the title race, but they’ve just kept going and going and going."

"I don’t think [bottling] is fair. Arsenal have done fantastically well, and I think 'bottlers' is a bit harsh. It’s really difficult if you’ve been in their position for the last three years and still not won it, to then have Man City breathing down your neck again."

A second-placed finish this season would be Arsenal's fourth in a row, and losing out on the title would no doubt be cause for alarm given they had a nine-point lead over City heading into the March international break.

How have Manchester City fought back to the top of the Premier League?

Man City have won six of the last eight titles on offer, and while the club have had to overcome a significant points deficit this season, perhaps observers were too quick to write them off.

Pep Guardiola's team are currently unbeaten in 11 Premier League games, winning eight of those matches, and they have triumphed in each of their last five fixtures in all competitions.

Dickov expressed his view that City built confidence with a number of high-profile victories at a crucial stage of the campaign, when he told Sports Mole: "They beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, beat Liverpool in the FA Cup and beat Chelsea away in the league.

"I thought at the time [the Chelsea game] would have been the trickiest game they had. They then obviously went on to beat Arsenal in the league now as well. I don’t think there’s a mentality problem with Arsenal, I just think Man City are better."

Arsenal have only taken eight points from a possible 24 against the rest of the teams currently in the top five, whereas City have taken 13 points from 21 against the current top five.

Injuries: Has Mikel Arteta been unlucky compared to Pep Guardiola?

Arteta has been unable to field talisman Bukayo Saka since March 22 in the EFL Cup final, and his absence at the Etihad should not be overlooked.

Other players such as Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have also picked up problems in recent weeks, and the squad has looked weaker than City's ahead of the final stretch of the season.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, Dickov insisted that Arsenal's squad has been hit by injuries at the wrong time, saying: "Injuries for Arsenal have come at the wrong time, and to some big players. Both full-backs - Timber and Calafiori - and both being out at the same time has been a huge blow.

"Players like Gabriel Jesus have been in and out. Bukayo Saka, who people say isn’t having the best season, but in terms of influence in the team, he’s one of the biggest players Arsenal have got.

"You need all these little things at the business end of the season to go your way. City are getting all their players back at the right time, Arsenal are hitting injuries, and it’s a little bit more unlucky than it is actually bottling it."

Saka should be fit for his side's clash with Newcastle United on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if he will be at his best after a lengthy layoff.

Paul Dickov was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of MrQ.