Manchester City or Arsenal? Jamie Carragher names his favorites to win the Premier League this season

Jamie Carragher has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title over Manchester City. However, he claimed that it will not be straightforward due to their recent form and injury issues.

The Gunners have finished second in the last three seasons in the Premier League. However, they sit atop the standings at the halfway stage this season after beating Aston Villa 4-1 on December 30. Meanwhile, Manchester City are now four points behind them in second after a goalless draw at Sunderland on New Year's Day.

In his column for The Telegraph, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher made his prediction for the Premier League champion this season. He wrote:

"Arsenal. They have the best squad, and everything is in place for them to end a 22-year wait. If they do it, it will be built on the spine of the team and solid foundations laid by their goalkeeper, centre-backs and Declan Rice. But it’s not going to be straightforward, as their recent form shows. There is an ongoing problem of a worrying injury record. For some reason, they always seem to be more impacted than their main title rival and it’s started to happen again," he added.

However, Carragher added that if Manchester City can stay close to Arsenal until March, they will be confident to get over the line. He wrote:

"Manchester City do not have the same quality on the bench as Arsenal, but when Pep Guardiola has his best starting XI available they can embark on a title-winning run, especially with Erling Haaland in electrifying form. City are reminding me of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. "There were occasions when United were not always playing the best football in a particular season, but they had that know-how about how to win the league, so if they were still in the hunt in late March they would get the job done. If City are still within touching distance of Arsenal by then, Guardiola will be confident and Arsenal – especially their fans – will be nervous. That could yet be a decisive factor," he added.

Manchester City have won two of the last three Premier League titles, while the Gunners finished second.

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Pundit says Manchester City will be unhappy after losing ground to Arsenal in Premier League title race

The Cityzens dominated possession with 67% against Sunderland at Stadium of Light in their Premier League clash on Thursday. They had 14 attempts, with four being on target, as compared to the hosts' eight attempts, with three being on target. However, it ended in a goalless draw.

Former Manchester City defender Steph Houghton believes his former side will be disappointed, saying on BBC Match of the Day:

"They [City] will overall be disappointed because of the chances they created but if you look at the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa, to go there and get a point, we are half way through the season, there is a long, long way to go."

Pep Guardiola's side will next host Chelsea at the Etihad on Sunday, January 4. Meanwhile, the Gunners will face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Edited by Aditya Singh