'I think': Rio Ferdinand predicts whether Arsenal can beat Man City to the Premier League title

Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal have every chance of winning the Premier League title this season after falling desperately short over the last couple of campaigns.

Manchester City are aiming to make it five Premier League titles in a row, which would be one of the finest achievements in the history of English football.

Arsenal lost out to the Cityzens by just two points last season and will aim to utilise their experience from their two previous title pursuits to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2004.

And ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League season, Ferdinand believes Arsenal will finally get one over Manchester City this time around.

Rio Ferdinand tips Arsenal for Premier League glory this season

Ferdinand feels Arsenal’s mental fortitude will determine how far they go this season, having been part of two close title races in as many years.

However, the former England international believes Mikel Arteta’s side have enough firepower to dethrone Manchester City at the top, albeit by a small margin.

“Can Man City make it five in a row? Can Arsenal let another one slip through their fingers? I just don’t think they can let that happen,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.

“They’ve made a decent signing defensively (Riccardo Calafiori) and he has given them a balance. Mentally Arsenal has to come back stronger again and go for it. I think they can be champions, but only just.”

Riccardo Calafiori has been Arsenal’s only major signing, having joined the club from Serie A side Bologna.

Micah Richards referred to Calafiori as an ‘amazing’ footballer but expressed doubts over where he would play, with the defender capable of playing in central defence and left back.

Although Ferdinand didn’t narrow down on his position, he believes the Italy international would undoubtedly make their rearguard a lot stronger, which could be the difference in the Premier League title race.

How Arsenal and Manchester City fared in pre-season

Arsenal started their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth but managed to beat Manchester United a few days later in the USA, although they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool in the final game of their tour.

Their last two games, however, turned out quite well as they secured commanding wins against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon.

Manchester City, much like Arsenal, also endured a mixed pre-season as they fell to losses against Celtic and AC Milan.

Pep Guardiola’s side played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Barcelona and beat a young Chelsea side 4-2 days later, while they also beat Manchester United in the FA Community Shield to give them some much-needed confidence ahead of the new season.

City have made it a habit of winning trophies under Guardiola, but with Arsenal hot on their heels, they’ll have to be at their very best to retain their Premier League crown.

With Gary Neville also predicting Arsenal to win the Premier League title, it might be the first time in several years that Man City aren’t regarded as overwhelming favourites ahead of a new season.