- Arsenal travel to the Etihad to take on Man City in a crunch top of the table clash
- Chris Sutton claimed Pep Guardiola’s side will be out of the title race if they lose
- Why a defeat against Arsenal will be curtains for Man City’s title defence – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Chris Sutton has claimed Man City will be out of the title race if they lose to Arsenal this weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s side take on the Gunners in a crunch top of the table clash at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s outfit are currently first and could go four points clear of their rivals with a win, while they also have a goal difference that is 11 goals superior.
And, speaking on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast, former Premier League winner Sutton felt City – who are chasing a fourth successive top flight title – would be out of the race if they suffered a defeat.
‘Their record against the top five teams this season…’ he said to co-host Ian Ladyman. ‘Man City have three points at this moment.
Chris Sutton claimed Man City will be out of the title race if they lose to Arsenal this weekend
City are chasing their fourth successive Premier League title but sit one point behind Arsenal
Sutton criticised City’s record against their top of the table rivals, while he also claimed that statistically the Treble winners are not performing to the levels that they were last season
‘You look at Arsenal, they have eight points, Liverpool have six points and I wouldn’t have necessarily thought that.
‘But now is the time that City have to click into gear. If they lose this game, it will be curtains for them.’
However, Ladyman disagreed with Sutton, although he insisted he understood his co-host’s thinking.
He responded: ‘I don’t agree with that by the way. But I take your point.
‘It would be a huge advantage for Arsenal (if they won).’
The Gunners suffered a damaging 4-1 defeat at the Etihad in April last year in a game that was dubbed a title shootout at the time, meaning they haven’t won away to City since January 2015.
And when discussing the potential implications of the game, Sutton outlined how big an opportunity this is for Arsenal and claimed Guardiola’s side are yet to reach the heights of last season.
Sutton added: ‘You make the point about Arsenal’s record at City not being great, but why wouldn’t they go there and be bullish?
‘They’re top of the league, they’ve scored the most goals, conceded the fewest and if you look at their performances from last season, all the stats show they have made progress.
‘If you look at Man City’s stats from last season, they’re not quite at that level and if Arsenal go there and win, what an opportunity they will then have to win the Premier League. I think it would then be out of them and Liverpool.’
Sutton highlighted the opportunity Arsenal have and said the Gunners have nothing to fear
This is despite Arsenal suffering a 4-1 defeat by City in a similarly crunch clash last season
However, Sutton caveated his claims with the fact that City are held to an almost impossible standard due to their recent success and insisted Guardiola’s men always have an ability to go on an ‘incredible run’.
‘What’s amazing about Man City is in my mind they’re not quite there yet,’ he added.
‘But out of the last 22 games, they have won 19 and drawn three and we’re saying they’re not at the level.
‘What it does tell us is that this season those three teams – City, Arsenal and Liverpool – the levels they have hit have been truly remarkable.’
