{"id":2420,"date":"2026-04-13T09:22:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:22:46","slug":"gary-lineker-makes-man-city-vs-arsenal-prediction-for-title-decider-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2420","title":{"rendered":"Gary Lineker makes Man City vs Arsenal prediction for title decider | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\"Premier\t<\/div>
Gary Lineker has discussed the Premier League title race (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gary Lineker has changed his Premier League title prediction after Manchester City took advantage of Arsenal\u2019s defeat to Bournemouth by beating Chelsea.<\/p>\n

Arsenal had the chance to open up a 12-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday but slipped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth.<\/p>\n

Man City took full advantage of their title rivals\u2019 setback, thumping Chelsea 3-0 on Sunday to cut Arsenal\u2019s lead in the title race to just six points.<\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola\u2019s side have a game in hand to pull even closer to Arsenal and a monumental home match against the Gunners next weekend.<\/p>\n

England legend Lineker has repeatedly backed Arsenal to become Premier League champions but has changed his mind after a potentially defining weekend in the title race. <\/p>\n

\u2018They had nothing against Bournemouth, no creativity whatsoever,\u2019 Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast<\/a>. \u2018They\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0seem to have any belief at all.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Arsenal lost at home to Bournemouth (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018They\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0very good\u00a0defensively and\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0pretty much been\u00a0able to guarantee that this season.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was the first time I thought they might not win the title, particularly following Man City\u2019s performance against Chelsea in the second half when I thought they were\u00a0absolutely brilliant. <\/p>\n

\u2018I just thought to myself, for the first time\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0actually not\u00a0sure Arsenal are going to do it.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been convinced for months but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not sure now. Next week\u2019s game is a monster, isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Chelsea\t<\/div>
Manchester City thumped Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve\u00a0been telling everyone I know that Arsenal will be fine and that\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0not going to choke. But\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0stuttering,\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0lost their form at the\u00a0moment\u00a0and we know how important momentum is. <\/p>\n

\u2018And all the momentum now is with Man City.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0so tough to call now but if you said you need to put your life on the line, which\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0hate to have to do under these circumstances,\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0probably now\u00a0go City because I think they will win next week.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Gary Neville \u2013 who won eight Premier League titles at Manchester United \u2013 believes it will be \u2018traumatic\u2019 for Arsenal if they miss out on the title once again.<\/p>\n

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\u2018I said a few months ago that Arsenal have to win this title from the position that they\u2019re in and I still believe they have to because it\u2019s a long road back at the end of the season,\u2019 Neville told Sky Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018If they don\u2019t win it this year, it will really be traumatic. We know the build-up to the game next week, what the narrative is going to be against Arsenal \u2013 that Man City are going to catch you, and there seems to be a sense of joy watching Arsenal collapse.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019ve got to try and swim against the tide and hold their nerve. They\u2019ve got a job to do in midweek in the Champions League, which actually might be helpful for them.<\/p>\n

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\u2018If Arsenal had a week to think about this match (against Man City), I don\u2019t think it would help them at all. They can maybe get some confidence through progressing to the Champions League semi-final.<\/p>\n

\u2018But before next Sunday, they\u2019ve got to find a balance of that emotion that you need, which is passion and fight to win a football match, but not becoming too desperate.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal losing on Saturday isn\u2019t because they don\u2019t want it \u2013 it\u2019s because they want it too much and their legs have started to get heavy.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019re going for your first title, you start to become consumed, and it\u2019s the mentally emotional drain that means your legs physically appear tired.<\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s a bit of what we saw against Bournemouth \u2013 the expectation of \u2018we\u2019re going to win this match, we\u2019re going to win a title, and we\u2019re desperate to do it\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re not saying that themselves, it\u2019s the noise around the club, the emotion in the stadium, the expectation, the fact they\u2019ve not done it in the last two or three years when they\u2019ve been in this position.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is where it gets real. This is the title race now, and they\u2019ve got to somehow clear their minds and get that emotional balance correct.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Gary Neville makes fresh Arsenal title claim after Man City destroy Chelsea<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Man City or Arsenal? Wayne Rooney makes prediction for Premier League \u2018title decider\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Arsenal legend Paul Merson makes Manchester United title prediction<\/span><\/p>\n

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