Breaking News: How Arsenal Can Shock Man City and Win the Premier League

Arsenal's 1-0 victory against Manchester City, according to Gary Neville, signifies a significant opportunity for them to take advantage of the defending champions' lingering effects from their treble success and emerge as winners in the Premier League. With Gabriel Martinelli's fortuitous late goal, Arsenal not only secured their first victory over City in the Premier League since 2015 but also harbored hope of prevailing in another intense battle for the title against Pep Guardiola's team.

Arsenal head into the international break on an equal footing with their local rivals Tottenham at the summit of the standings, while City lurks two points behind in third.

Neville is of the opinion that Arsenal, having shown progress, can surpass their performance from the previous season, where they secured the runners-up position to City.

"I think they've got a big chance, Arsenal," he told We.

"They've got to keep their players fit. They're 100-per-cent better with Declan Rice in the middle of the pitch, without a shadow of a doubt.

The center-forwards need to deliver more, but their performance against City raises concerns about potential issues in the future. It is crucial to maintain Rice's fitness, and the decision to not start Gabriel Magalhaes at the beginning of the season was a failed experiment that won't be repeated. Gabriel and William Saliba, the two center-halves, were instrumental in their exceptional performance against City, where they successfully defended against the world's best player in that position, Erling Haaland.

To secure a victory against City and provide Bukayo Saka, who is currently injured, with a much-needed three-week break, could potentially yield positive outcomes.

Maintaining the fitness levels of the two center-backs and Rice is crucial, as their absence would greatly diminish their chances of winning the league.

In the first half, I had concerns about the goalkeeper, David Raya. He managed to prevent a potential crisis by not allowing any goals during those moments. If he had conceded a goal, it could have had serious consequences. Hopefully, he has taken the time to reflect on his performance and has come back stronger in the second half. It is unclear what Arteta said to the team during halftime, but it had a positive effect on all of them.

While City is not currently in a crisis, they have experienced consecutive league defeats for the first time in five years. This has made them appear more vulnerable than they have in previous seasons.

Neville attributes this to the lingering impact of last season's victories in the Premier League, FA Cup, and long-awaited Champions League.

"I believed Arsenal would clinch the title because they were in close contention last year. I expected them to be in a similar position again, with Manchester City experiencing a slight hangover from their treble triumph," commented Neville.

Image:

Gabriel Martinelli secured the winning goal for Arsenal against Manchester City. "What is Manchester City's objective this year? They have attained the pinnacle of success, leaving no room for further accomplishments. After enduring an arduous and lengthy battle to claim a Champions League victory, as well as clinching the treble and emulating Manchester United's achievements, there must now be a moment of respite."

My toughest United season remains the one following the treble victory. Although we did emerge as champions, the competing teams did not pose much of a challenge during that season. Personally, it was an absolute nightmare for me as I had exerted myself greatly in the previous season.

I believe that the City players might experience a similar effect, with their energy levels being depleted to some extent.

They have endured a few setbacks recently, which may have served as a wake-up call, so it would be a mistake to underestimate them - without a doubt. However, a shift seems to be occurring as Wolves and Newcastle have defeated them, adding to a growing list of uncommon occurrences unfolding right before their eyes.