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Gary Neville believes there are THREE serious contenders for the Premier League title, with Arsenal his favourites. The Gunners currently lead the standings with a four-point advantage over nearest challengers Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side sent an emphatic warning to the Gunners on Sunday as they swatted aside reigning champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad. And that win has led Neville to believe that City will be right among the front-runners for the remainder of the season.

Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, the United icon said: “I thought today was about which of these two clubs was going to emerge as Arsenal’s nearest challengers and could they send a message to the Gunners?

“Pep Guardiola, in his 1000th game as a manager, his team and his staff, have done that. It’s a really good day for Guardiola and Man City, but it’s a difficult day for Arne Slot and Liverpool.”

And while Liverpool now sit eighth and already eight points off the pace, Neville believes Sunday’s defeat at the Etihad was not terminal for the Reds’ hopes of retaining the trophy. Asked if Arne Slot’s side could still win the title, Neville replied: “I’m going to say yes.

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“If it clicked something could happen. They’ve got firecrackers and world-class players in that dressing room.

“There’s big characters too, Van Dijk, Alisson and Salah are huge characters. They’re Premier League greats so if they can pull it together with the manager who had a great first season and get something going with the younger players, maybe they can still do something.

“But today was a worry because it was a really, really poor performance. They need to have a good look at themselves and they’ll know they’re nowhere near it at this moment in time.”

Arsenal allowed their advantage to be worn away over the weekend after letting victory slip through their fingers late on against Sunderland. But Neville believes that the draw at the Stadium of Light is not as big of a setback as first thought.

Who are your favourites for the title? Share your thoughts in the comments below

“I wasn’t sat there thinking it was a huge blow for Arsenal,” he added. “I actually thought it was a game that might catch them out a bit.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s going to bumps along the road. It’s normal to drop some points in the Premier League so I wouldn’t be screaming or shouting if I was an Arsenal player.

“Conceding a late goal gives you a sickening feeling but they just need to get back to winning ways again after the international break.”

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