Gary Neville names ‘horrible’ game that could cost Arsenal the Premier League title

Gary Neville has identified the ‘horrible’ game that could cost Arsenal the Premier League title.

Arsenal, chasing a first league title since 2004, moved six points clear at the top of the table with an emphatic 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.

Viktor Gyokeres gave the Gunners an early lead at the Emirates Stadium and scored again on the stroke of half-time after Bukayo Saka had doubled Arsenal’s lead.

Mikel Arteta’s side failed to boost their goal difference any further in the second half but a comfortable victory still piled the pressure on title rivals Manchester City.

Man City have two games in hand to try and close the gap on title frontrunners Arsenal, the first a potentially tricky away game against Everton on Monday night.

Neville expects Pep Guardiola’s team to reduce Arsenal’s lead at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and says all eyes will then be on the Gunners and a London derby against West Ham at the weekend.

Arsenal are 17 places and a whopping 40 points above West Ham in the Premier League but the Hammers have improved in recent months to boost their survival hopes.

‘I watched Arsenal last night and disappointed is the wrong word but Mikel Arteta might be thinking that they could have scored a couple more and whether they might regret that,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.

‘But he’ll be happy with the win and he has to remind the players to take their chances and be clinical and ruthless. Those are the messages he will be giving I imagine.

‘They can’t sit back now in games, they need to keep going. I think Man City will beat Everton but it would be absolutely stunning if they were to drop points there, it would be stunning.

‘I don’t think it will happen. It’s a massive week because I think the game Arsenal are most likely to drop points in is West Ham away.

‘That’s the game they should fear most. It’s a horrible one because West Ham are fighting for their lives and need the points.’

Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, was impressed by Arsenal’s performance against Fulham and said it ‘certainly’ puts more pressure on Man City as they travel to Merseyside.

‘Arsenal were fantastic,’ Carragher said. ‘I think it’s the best they’ve looked for a while, maybe since they beat Tottenham in the north London derby.

‘They were helped a little bit by Fulham but they look energetic and it was big in terms of helping the goal difference as well.

‘They didn’t look fatigued or tired or nervous which they have of late but again, some of that was down to how poor Fulham were.

‘We’ll see how it plays out but it’s certainly put a little bit on Manchester City now who have a tough game against Everton.

‘I think Man City will win that but it might come down to goal difference now so just winning might not be enough.’

After facing West Ham, Arsenal’s final two Premier League fixtures are against already-relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace.

Manchester City, meanwhile, face Brentford, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa as they seek a seventh Premier League title since 2018.

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