Alan Shearer has delivered a bold verdict, ruling Manchester City out of the Premier League title race, despite their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku ended City’s seven-game winless run and marked their first triumph since a 1-0 win over Southampton on October 26. The result closed the gap to league leaders Liverpool, who dropped points in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Newcastle United.
However, City remain nine points behind Liverpool and are currently sitting below Arsenal and Chelsea in the table after 12 matches. Despite the glimmer of hope provided by Liverpool’s draw, Shearer believes City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive league title are already over.
Speaking on Prime Video, the former Magpies striker stated:
“Obviously Liverpool are favourites and rightly so because of the start that they’ve had to the season. But it is not going to be all perfection for them; they’re gonna have to answer some questions—they did tonight at Newcastle.”
Shearer added his belief that Arsenal are Liverpool’s main challengers:
“I think Arsenal are closest to them, they’re the ones that are going to challenge them, and I don’t see City coming back from where they are at this moment in time. I know they’ve got a decent result and they’re back to winning ways, but I think they’ve given themselves too much to do.”
Shearer concluded:
“I do see that Arsenal can challenge Liverpool, but it’ll be tough. They’re gonna have to be near on perfect, Arsenal.”
City’s European Focus
As City struggle domestically, attention may turn to defending their Champions League crown. Guardiola’s side is determined to retain their European title in what could be the final push for the core squad that secured four consecutive league titles.
In a revamped format, City face challenges from the likes of Inter Milan, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain in the new 36-team group phase. The Manchester Evening News emphasized that Guardiola and his players will aim to show that they remain Europe’s best after overcoming last season’s disappointment in the domestic league.
With City’s Premier League campaign hanging by a thread, their Champions League pursuit could take center stage as Guardiola’s team fights to reaffirm their dominance on the continent.
