Chris Sutton and Steve McManaman agree over Man City’s biggest challenger - and it’s not Arsenal

Arsenal may not be Manchester City’s biggest title challenger this season, according to some pundits. The Gunners have enjoyed a solid start to the season, currently two points behind leaders Tottenham and locked on the same total as City.

But performances have been far from ideal for Mikel Arteta’s men, who have not managed to get into the same flow as last season, at least not yet. The Gunners will be looking to put on more dominant displays over the coming weeks, and they will need to if they want to be serious contenders, especially given the number of clubs who are keeping pace currently.

Along with City and Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and even Aston Villa are well in the mix at this stage, although it is still pretty early.

Still, Chris Sutton believes Arsenal are not City’s biggest challengers for the title. He instead picked Liverpool as his main contenders. “I went early on them,” he said on BBC 5Live. “Just because of the midfield players they have brought and the rotation they can have in forward areas.

“You never leave Salah out, but the options they have in forward areas...I’m still worried about them defensively, but I was at the Etihad at the weekend, and Man City were brilliant in the first half, but they are looking...I don’t want to say vulnerable, but I think Liverpool will be a bigger challenger to Man City than Arsenal will, I really do this season.”

Former Liverpool star McManaman has also spoken about the title race, telling Betfred: “I don’t think any of them have been overly convincing. I believe Liverpool have done well because the only defeat they’ve suffered this season was in the infamous game against Tottenham Hotspur, but they still haven’t exactly been blowing teams away.

“Manchester City have done okay as well, beating the teams they should be beating, but I would say that Liverpool have probably played the hardest games so far out of the teams in the title race. They’ve played away from home against Brighton, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham, so the fact that they’re sitting close despite competing in those difficult fixtures is an indication that they’ve potentially been the most impressive so far out of all the title contenders.

“I believe that all the teams around the top of the table currently are the sides that you’d expect to be there. None of them haven’t slipped into first gear yet and once we come towards Christmas and there’s a break from European competition, then those who’re going to go the furthest in this title race will start to kick on.”