The Premier League championship race is nearing its conclusion, with Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool still vying for first place.
David James, the goalkeeper for Manchester City and Liverpool in the past, has declared that his two former clubs will compete for the Premier League title, eliminating Arsenal from the running.
Even though Arsenal leads the table with eight games remaining, James has called it a “two-horse race.” The former England goalkeeper doesn’t think Mikel Arteta’s team is “good enough” to win the league for the first time since 2004’s renowned Invincibles campaign, despite the Gunners’ incredible run of play since their mid-season break.
Rather, James gives Liverpool and City both higher ratings, as they have both won the league in recent years. “In my opinion, there are two contenders in this race,” the 53-year-old stated in an exclusive interview with Mirror Football on behalf of Soccer Aid for UNICEF. Although I know Arsenal is in the running and is winning games, and I realize this is going to sound really strange, I don’t think Arsenal is good enough to win the title. With all due respect, I say that.Even though Arsenal is still mathematically eligible to win the championship with a few games remaining, I believe that this is between Manchester City and Liverpool.
It’s similar to the competition between the three former Olympian runners, Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, and Steve Cram. There are only two winners that can emerge from the race between those three, even though you can already tell they will be close to one another as they approach the finish line.”
James continued, “I think what we’ve seen from Liverpool has surprised everyone,” prior to last Sunday’s dull 0-0 draw between City and Arsenal, which gave Liverpool the advantage with nine games remaining.
“Until a few weeks ago, I wasn’t shocked by their current position because I felt they had a nice balance, which they still do. The last few games have surprised me. Granted, there have been instances in cup games where youthful players have entered, displayed courage, and—above all—performed as though they had been playing for a very long time.
The same argument could be made by City. Oscar Bobb, for example, who recently inked a new contract, has really surprised everyone this season. Every year, they continue to produce young players. Liverpool, on the other hand, has, as some would argue, only recently begun to perform well.” Who, then, does James envision winning the trophy on the last day? “I won’t be drawn for it,” he said. “It’s not that I want to remain neutral; rather, I believe that we have been given an opportunity similar to one from a few years ago, where the title will remain undetermined until the very last whistle of the season. And everybody desires that.”