With the new Premier League season about to begin, thoughts are already turning to who might be crowned champions in the end.
Arsenal will have their eyes on the prize, having finished as runners up in each of the last two seasons. Last time around, Mikel Arteta’s side were able to take the title race down to the wire.
The Gunners must now recover from the heartbreak of having come so close, yet so far, and go again. There are plenty of reasons to believe that they can go one step better, and actually get their hands on the trophy, this time around.
The North London club have strengthened this summer, with the addition of Riccardo Calafiori, and it is likely that more business is still to be done. Arsenal are in a strong spending position, and Arteta will still want to bring in new blood.
On top of that, the experience of the last two seasons will have delivered important lessons to the squad, who now know which mistakes they need to learn from.
A number of pundits have faith in the Gunners. Ally McCoist has tipped Arsenal for the title. Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp believes Arsenal will win the league, too.
Ian Wright, Gary Neville, and Roy Keane make title call between Arsenal and Man City
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has backed Arteta’s men to strike it lucky at the third time of asking and overcome Manchester City in the title race this season.
However, ex-Manchester United duo Gary Neville and Roy Keane both sided with Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions, and they were backed up in that assertion by Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott. This left Arsenal legend Wright outnumbered 4-1 on the panel.
It could be argued that the underdog tag, and the reduced weight of expectation that comes with it, could suit the Gunners this season, though.
Gary Neville flips on Arsenal
At the start of last season, Neville predicted Arsenal would win the title. He was clear in his assertion, and stuck by it throughout the campaign.
However, despite the title being decided on that occasion on the last day of the campaign, the former full-back clearly saw enough to give up on the Gunners this time around.
Of course, Arsenal fans will be hoping that he is proven wrong.
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