Football expert and former England defender Gary Neville has voiced his strong belief that Arsenal will retain the Premier League title come the end of the 2026/27 season. With Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United all registering wins in the latest round, Neville points to the impressive depth and quality of the Gunners' defence as the cornerstone of their title aspirations.
Lack of cohesion among rivals
In his analysis of Chelsea's thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, Neville noted the defensive disarray within Xabi Alonso's side:
They had to make a decision to sign a new goalkeeper [Emiliano Martinez], bringing in a strong personality. Against Brighton, they fielded Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, and Wesley Fofana in defence. I look at that and see some great individual defenders, but I don't see a cohesive, solid unit.
He also raised similar concerns regarding Manchester United, where centre-back Lenny Yoro was forced to fill in on the wing due to a lack of depth.
Mikel Arteta’s defensive fortress
Neville believes that the cohesion among Arsenal's defensive quartet—Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori, alongside goalkeeper David Raya—makes the team virtually unbeatable:
Manchester City had that solid defensive foundation during their title-winning days, but I don’t see that now. Liverpool had it too, yet none of the competitors currently boast reliable defensive blocks. What Arsenal have done by signing Ezri Konsa is simply astounding. They already have Timber, White, Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Incapie, Calafiori, and Lewis-Skelly. They’ve got eight outstanding defenders and are adding another top central defender. The club is sending a message: 'We’re not going to concede goals; we aim to be head and shoulders above everyone defensively.' That, I believe, will win them the title again. While Arsenal’s attack can certainly compete with the likes of United, Liverpool, or Chelsea, their defence and midfield are leaps and bounds better than anyone else.
The stability brought by Mikel Arteta, who has been at the helm since 2019, provides the reigning champions with a crucial edge amid the upheaval of managerial changes at their rivals.
