Alan Shearer has shared his prediction for who he thinks will win the Premier League title this season.
As things stand, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are the three sides currently in the mix to lift the Premier League trophy with nine games left to play in the campaign.
The Blues are aiming to become the first side in the Premier League era to win it for the fourth time in a row. As for their fellow title chasers, Liverpool are looking to see Jurgen Klopp leave the club with another league trophy to his name, whereas Arsenal could win it for the first time in 20 years.
In what is now a crucial stage of the season for all three sides, one pundit and former top-flight player, who knows what it takes to win the league, has shared his prediction for who will be crowned champions this time around.
Shearer drops Premier League title prediction
In a recent column shared on the BBC Sport website, Shearer had this to say about the title race and who he thinks will be victorious at the end of it.
He said: “At the moment it is advantage Liverpool, and Arsenal are not going away, but, with nine games to go, I still see Manchester City as favourites for the Premier League title.
“That feeling is not really based on how City are playing right now, though. Pep Guardiola’s side are on a long unbeaten run, stretching back 23 games in all competitions, but they have not hit top form and a few of their performances in that spell have not quite been at the level we have come to expect.
“Some of their results have been disappointing too, including Sunday’s 0-0 draw with the Gunners. It must be a concern for Guardiola that his side have not beaten another top-five team this season, in six attempts.
“City have a chance to change that when they play Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday – and they have to. They cannot afford to drop points in successive games, so it’s another huge night for them – against the last team to beat them, on 6 December.
“One of City’s biggest strengths, however, is that they have been here and done it so many times before. And, while their rivals might be in better form, City have the experience to know that the draw with Arsenal was not a disaster. It was a much better result for the Gunners, but it will not bother City too much when they face Villa, or going forward, because there is a quarter of the season left.
“They were my pick to win the league when it started and I am certainly not going to change my mind now.”
Liverpool currently top the league table with 67 points on the board, two more than Arsenal and three more than Guardiola’s side.
With City having scored fewer goals and conceded more than their two title rivals, it’s somewhat surprising that Shearer still thinks they will win the league.
However, given how many times the Citizens have found themselves having to fight until the very end of the season to lift the trophy in recent years, this isn’t a scenario that they aren’t familiar with, even though Liverpool and Arsenal currently have the advantage over them in terms of points.
Moving forward, the only thing the Blues can do now is win all of their remaining league games and hope their two title-chasing rivals slip up along the way.
