Former England and Manchester United forward Michael Owen has provided an updated assessment of the Premier League championship race, tipping Arsenal to hold off the challenge of Manchester City. Owen’s perspective comes at a critical juncture in the season, following a weekend where the North London side suffered a surprising 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, while the defending champions secured a commanding 3-0 win over Chelsea.
As it stands, Mikel Arteta’s squad holds a six-point cushion at the top of the table, though Pep Guardiola’s side possesses a game in hand and the opportunity to close the gap further in their upcoming head-to-head meeting. Despite the shift in momentum toward the blue half of Manchester, Owen suggests that the difficulty of the remaining fixtures could play a decisive role in the final standings.
Analyzing the run-in for Metro UK, the pundit highlighted specific road matches that could prove to be stumbling blocks for the title holders.
“I think Manchester City have got the slightly more difficult games. They have got Bournemouth away, they have got Everton away,” Owen stated. “They are two tough games. However, when you look at this weekend, we thought Arsenal at home to Bournemouth and City away at Chelsea.”
Owen acknowledged that the current landscape seems to favor the challengers, given their pedigree and tactical consistency under pressure. However, he remains convinced that the Gunners have enough resilience to secure their first league trophy in over two decades.
“Everything is pointing to City, the momentum, the record of Pep Guardiola, the experience of the players, the current form, City at home against Arsenal,” he continued. “It’s the toss of the coin, but I think Arsenal might just nick it.”
