Man City legend makes bold Arsenal claim after nine-point gap opens

Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero believes the Premier League title race remains alive despite Arsenal opening up a commanding nine-point lead at the top of the table.

The Gunners extended their advantage over the weekend thanks to a dramatic late victory against Everton at the Emirates. After 89 goalless minutes against David Moyes’ stubborn side, 16-year-old Max Dowman came off the bench to create the breakthrough moment.

Dowman provided the cross that led to Viktor Gyokeres’ opener with seconds remaining in normal time, but it was his second contribution that will live long in Arsenal fans’ memories. After an Everton corner was cleared, the teenager picked up possession deep in Arsenal’s half, skipped past two defenders with ease, and passed into an empty net to spark wild celebrations in north London.

City’s task gets harder

Manchester City’s challenge became even more difficult later that evening as they were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw away to West Ham, losing further ground in what is becoming an increasingly one-sided title race.

However, when asked if Pep Guardiola’s side could still claim the crown, Aguero remains optimistic about his former club’s chances.

“Why not? It’s difficult, of course. But it was also difficult in 2012 and we all know how that ended. These are different moments, but what I mean is that in the Premier League nothing is decided until the very end,” Aguero told Stake.

Arsenal’s consistency key

The five-time Premier League winner credits Arsenal’s superior consistency as the driving force behind their nine-point advantage at the summit.

“Arsenal have been more consistent, not just now but also in previous seasons. And because, despite the difficulties they had and the many injury problems, they managed to bounce back quickly,” he explained.

Aguero also defended Mikel Arteta against criticism over the club’s tactical approach and apparent overreliance on set-pieces.

“What does ‘boring football’ even mean? I don’t think it’s boring for their fans when their team is at the top of the table. Saying they’re boring because they often score from set pieces minimises their style of play,” he said.

The former Argentina international believes Arteta has built a “very competitive team” with a “very complete squad” that has gained valuable experience from fighting for titles in recent years.

With Arsenal remaining in contention on all four fronts this season, Dowman’s emergence adds another exciting dimension to what could finally be the campaign that ends the club’s 22-year wait for Premier League glory.