Arsenal Still Have It All To Play For, Say Pundits, Despite Man City's Etihad Masterclass

The Premier League title race has tilted decisively in Manchester City's direction this week. Pep Guardiola's outfit claimed pole position on goals scored after dispatching Burnley 1-0 in their game in hand on Wednesday evening, following their pivotal 2-1 triumph over Arsenal at the Etihad seven days prior.

Yet the narrative isn't quite written. Arsenal get their chance to reclaim the summit when they visit St James' Park to face Newcastle on Saturday evening, while City turn their attention to FA Cup semi-final duties against Southampton.

Despite the Manchester side's recent dominance, several prominent voices in the game reckon the Gunners remain very much in contention. Here's what the pundits make of it all:

Ian Wright's Case for Arsenal

Wright believes Arsenal can still get the job done. Speaking on Stick to Football, he highlighted the quality of chances created against City, arguing that if his side can replicate that performance while tightening up defensively and being more clinical in the final third, they've got every chance.

"We created enough chances where if we do that against other teams and get ourselves back to that defensive solidity that we had before leading into this part of the season and finish this with ruthlessness," he said. Wright pointed to Arsenal's imperious early-season form as proof they possess the mentality required, suggesting that if they can recapture that cutting edge, they'll edge it.

Alan Shearer Points to Bournemouth

Shearer reckons the damage was done earlier, not last weekend. Speaking to Betfair, he fingered the Bournemouth defeat at home as the decisive moment—a match he felt Arsenal should have won given their subsequent display against City.

"If they had just won that match, the title was pretty much theirs," Shearer explained. Still, he's hedging his bets, predicting Arsenal will beat Newcastle this weekend but cautioning that late-season football always throws up surprises. "I'm convinced that there will be a slip up from someone, somewhere along the line," he added.

Paul Merson: Arsenal's Window of Opportunity

Merson sees a genuine advantage for the Gunners. He notes that Arsenal play twice before City's next fixture—a trip to Everton—meaning they could establish a six-point lead before Guardiola's men kick a ball again.

"If Arsenal win their next two games, they will put all the pressure back on their rivals," Merson told Sportskeeda. He's backed Arsenal to do just that, though he issued a stark warning: failure this weekend leaves them in "last chance saloon." Intriguingly, he also highlighted the peculiar possibility of Arsenal winning every remaining game yet still losing the title on goals scored, having experienced the flip side of that coin in 1989.

Chris Sutton's Historical Analysis

Sutton has crunched the numbers on the teams both sides still face. Arsenal beat all five remaining opponents by an aggregate of 8-1 in the reverse fixtures, and he expects them to do so again. City's fixture list, he argues, is tougher—particularly the away trips to Everton and Bournemouth.

He's backing Arsenal to see off Newcastle and, despite the complications of a Champions League semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid, to edge the tricky away day at West Ham. "The way I see it when I've worked out the remaining games, Arsenal will win it," Sutton concluded.

Roy Keane and Gary Neville Shift

Keane remained characteristically stubborn in his backing, declaring post-match: "I am going to stick with Arsenal, of course I am going to stick with them." He acknowledged City's momentum but refused to abandon his original season prediction.

Neville, meanwhile, made a telling admission: "For the first time this season I am probably going to say they will win the League."

The title race, it seems, remains deliciously uncertain.