Steven Gerrard believes Arsenal will be champions of England for the second consecutive season. Following the Londoners' victory over Liverpool (1-0), the former Liverpool captain has further solidified his prediction. In his view, the main competitors for Mikel Arteta's team will remain Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, while Brighton will eventually fall behind.
The win at Anfield allowed Arsenal to increase their lead over Manchester City to three points. Enzo Maresca's team suffered their second consecutive defeat following a loss against Aston Villa (1-2) with a home defeat to Brighton (0-1).
Liverpool, under Andoni Iraola, now trails the leaders by nine points.
Gerrard: "This is how championships are won"
In an appearance on The Overlap Daily, the Englishman explained why the victory at Anfield might be more significant for Arsenal than large wins.
We must give credit to Arsenal because this is how championships are won. You go to a team like Liverpool, act confidently, stick together, and play a completely different brand of football.
There was plenty of character, battling spirit, and unity in their game, and they got what they deserved. At the end of the season, if they win the championship – and I believe they will, as I've not changed my mind since the start of the season – they will remember games like this, not the wins like 4-0 or 5-0, although I’m sure they will have their fair share of those too.
They’ll recall how they went to Anfield, where it's tough to play due to the atmosphere and the strong opposition. Andoni Iraola has noticeably improved Liverpool's game; the team performed well, but Arsenal still came away with three points.
This could be hugely significant for Arsenal. Liverpool is currently nine points behind, so they have a serious job ahead if they want to contest the title.
Arsenal looks like a team that knows how to win in different ways. I think that could be the decisive factor.
Brighton will challenge for Champions League but not for the title
Following their victory over Manchester City, Brighton moved up to third place and is just five points behind Arsenal. However, Gerrard doubts the team can maintain that pace throughout the season.
I would risk saying they will fall behind over time. But that's not criticism; I think Brighton is a great team with an excellent manager.
It’s just that over a long distance, stronger teams, in my opinion, will pull away a bit. Meanwhile, Brighton is undoubtedly capable of fighting for a top-four finish and is currently, perhaps, the most dangerous team in the league because they play without fear.
Every player knows their role both with the ball and without it. The team has noticeably improved defensively. They have many dangerous players who feel comfortable on the ball.
It’s incredible to watch them. I think Brighton poses a significant threat to the teams battling for the top four because they will be in the mix for a Champions League place.
The Premier League throws various challenges at you over the season. If you look at the squads of Arsenal, City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, especially how they performed in the second half, I believe those teams will pull away a bit over 38 matches.
Brighton will continue to fight and strive for more, and I’m very curious to see how far they can go. However, I don’t regard them as title challengers.
Thus, Gerrard highlights four clubs that, in his prediction, will ultimately pull away from the rest. He still considers Arsenal the main favourite while assigning Brighton the role of a contender for a Champions League spot.
