Kolo Toure: The Premier League title battle is not over
The Premier League title competition between Manchester City and Arsenal is “not over,” according to former player Kolo Toure, but the defending champions hold the advantage.
Pep Guardiola’s squad defeated Arsenal 4-1 on Wednesday to move within two points of the Gunners at the top of the Premier League standings with two games in hand.
Arsenal’s chances of winning a championship for the first time since 2004 appear to have faded after dropping points in three consecutive games prior to their defeat to the champions.
Despite City’s ascendancy, Toure, who won Premier League titles with both clubs during his tenure, believes it cannot be called until the final day of the season.
“It is not over yet,” he told Stats Perform. “There are still contests remaining. It was a bold statement made by City. They demonstrated their qualities and their mentality.
They demonstrated a desire to win the Premier League. They have been the favorite since the beginning of the season, but there are still a few games left.Arsenal has performed exceptionally well this season. Due to the manager and team depth of City, attempting to defeat them is always incredibly challenging.
“However, Arsenal is surprising everyone, and the league is not over until the final game.” As soon as you make a single error and lose a single game, your mindset completely shifts.
“The burden rises once more. For Arsenal, it is crucial that they maintain possession. They must avoid making any errors in order to maintain pressure on City.”
Prior to the start of the season, Arsenal was considered a long shot to win the championship, but until recently, they appeared to be in a commanding position to advance and secure victory.
However, their string of draws with Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton has cost them dearly, and their loss to City has taken control away from them.
Toure disagrees with the notion that Arsenal has succumbed to the strain, and believes the Gunners have undergone extraordinary development under Mikel Arteta to even be in the discussion.
“This is a very harsh statement,” he added. “That is harsh because nobody anticipated Arsenal’s current performance.” Until the end of the season, it is not over.
“I’d say they’re on the correct path, given that Arsenal’s results have been subpar for a few years. Arteta came, he did a wonderful job.
He has now set the club on the correct path. They must simply have faith in him and continue doing what they are doing. I believe they are proceeding appropriately.
“[Their] time will come to shine if [they] remain calm, continue the process, and keep putting pressure on those immense clubs like City and Liverpool,” he said.
Next Tuesday, Arsenal will face struggling Chelsea in a London derby, followed by a Sunday meeting with top-four rivals Newcastle United.
Kolo Toure: The Premier League title battle is not over