"Take notice": Arsenal now sent clear Premier League title warning amid "different" Man City verdict

Premier League leaders Arsenal must “take notice” of Manchester City’s upturn in form and be prepared for their battle with a “different” side in the title race, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

Mikel Arteta’s men moved nine points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 win at Burnley on November 1, but that advantage has since been whittled down to just two points, with in-form duo Man City and Aston Villa breathing down their necks in second and third respectively.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won nine of their last 11 matches in all competitions (L2), including five of their last six Premier League games, giving supporters hope that they can mount a serious title challenge this term after finishing far behind last season’s champions Liverpool.

Four days after beating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu in the Champions League, Man City secured a “statement” 3-0 Premier League victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday, courtesy of two goals from Erling Haaland and a strike from Phil Foden.

McInerney has previously told Sports Mole that it is “impossible” for Arsenal to not feel the pressure in their quest to win the Premier League title and it would be “silly” to write off rivals Man City at this stage of the season.

Now, McInerney has highlighted what is different about Guardiola’s current crop compared to previous campaigns and why Arsenal must now pay close attention to their rivals in the title race.

Arsenal must be wary of “different” Man City side in title race

“I think that they'll be paying attention to Manchester City, rightfully so,” he told Sports Mole following City’s win at Palace. “City are a relentlessly aggressive side when it comes to chasing down teams, and maybe this is a different Manchester City.

“Maybe the DNA is different because you look around that City side and there are so many players that don't necessarily have that multiple Premier League-winning experience. Other than Foden, Bernardo Silva [John Stones and Rodri]...

“[Ruben] Dias has won it a few times, Haaland's won it twice, but then you go to [Gianluigi] Donnarumma who’s new to the league. [Nico] O'Reilly hasn't won it. [Matheus] Nunes has, but never as a starter, [Josko] Gvardiol's won it once, he's reasonably young still. [Jeremy] Doku's won it once as well.

“[Tijjani] Reijnders, no. Nico Gonzalez, no. [Rayan] Cherki, no, and then you go to the bench, people like [Omar] Marmoush, Savinho, [Abdukodir] Khusanov, Oscar Bobb and [Divine] Mukasa (have not won a PL title). There's a lot of people who are reasonably young, or new to this club who haven't got a lot of (title-winning) experience.

“So it is a different City side to the ones that chased down Arsenal previously, but you're already seeing, in my opinion, a City side that is slowly but surely getting better and better each week. They are clearly better than they were at the start of the season. They're clearly better than they were a month ago.

Are Arsenal feeling the pressure in title battle with Man City?

“We're seeing a semblance of a strongest XI that will get better and that will change, as players find their form and stake a claim. I think Rodri hopefully coming back - if he does - would improve it vastly as well.

“Who knows what we'll do in January, because I think there's potential there for signing. There's space in the squad for an overseas player. We could sign a right-back, a midfielder, a winger, who knows.”

After seeing Arsenal scrape past basement club Wolves last weekend, McInerney has suggested that Arsenal could soon be feeling the pressure in their pursuit of their first top-flight title in more than two decades.

“I think the City side is warming up really nicely, and Arsenal have made heavy work of a few games recently,” he said. “I don’t know if they're feeling the pressure, but it'd be amazing if they're not thinking about it. How do you not think about it as a human being when you've just about scraped past the worst Premier League side ever potentially, Wolves, with their own goals?

“You're drawing against Sunderland. You're losing against Aston Villa, and you've gone from being really clear to everyone saying a month ago - myself included - I thought they were going to walk it, to all of a sudden only two points ahead.

Man City claimed "statement" win against Crystal Palace to boost title hopes

“It's all in the City's hands again and City have won five games in a row, including beating Real Madrid. if Arsenal aren't thinking this is tough, we've been here before - I'm sure they're telling themselves it's different and they can win it, absolutely - but they must notice it.

“They must feel that looming blue presence over their shoulder, because why would they not? Ultimately, as much as it's a different Manchester City side, it's still got multiple winners in there in Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Gvardiol, Dias, even people like Donnarumma, he's not won the PL but he's a serial winner.”

Reflecting on City’s win at Selhurst Park, McInerney continued: “I think this City side has sent a statement. Sunderland [have been] excellent against all the big sides - City brushed them aside 3-0.

“I think 3-0 against Crystal Palace away is a statement too. A lot of goals in the Fulham (5-4) and Leeds (3-2) games, but we won those games and scored an awful lot of goals.

“Best attack in the league, they will get better defensively, of course they will, and they've got the best player in the world to add to that (Haaland), so people have to sit up and take notice.”

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