Redknapp backs Arsenal to pip City in title showdown as Pardew questions their style

The Premier League title race has crystallised into a two-horse contest between Arsenal and Manchester City, with the Gunners holding a commanding position at the summit.

Mikel Arteta's outfit have amassed 67 points from 30 games and sit seven clear of City, who possess a game in hand. The north London side have been miserly in defence, conceding just 22 goals, whilst suffering only three league defeats all campaign.

It's a far cry from their last title triumph in 2004, but former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is convinced Arsenal will finally end that 22-year wait.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Redknapp outlined why he believes the Gunners have what it takes: "They will win the Premier League, I am sure. Man City are obviously still very good, but they are not as good as they were a couple of years back, in my opinion."

He highlighted the injury woes affecting City's key personnel. "De Bruyne, Stones been injured a lot, Walker, best right-back at the time, you know, they have some key one or two, they are not quite the same, in my opinion. They will be second, but I do think Arsenal will win it."

Yet not everyone is singing Arsenal's praises unequivocally. Alan Pardew, who managed West Ham and Newcastle, has raised eyebrows at the methods being employed. The Gunners have been criticised for their reliance on set-piece goals and accusations of time-wasting in their recent clash with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Pardew's assessment was withering: "When I'm looking at them with my football manager's head on, they're so professional. They do every bit of gamesmanship to get it over the line."

He acknowledged Brighton offered little resistance, but questioned the aesthetic quality of Arsenal's football. "There'll be an asterisk next to their name because you've only got to look at them really in these type of performances and say it's just a functional display. It's a professional, functional display. They're good, they're strong, they're powerful. But there is nothing beautiful about them. That's the truth."

The contrasting views highlight a broader debate about how Arsenal are going about their business this season—undeniably effective, perhaps, but hardly the stuff of poetry.