Former Manchester City player Stephen Elliott believes that his old club can afford to lose to Arsenal tonight and still emerge victorious in the Premier League title race.
Elliott, who started his career under Kevin Keegan at City, feels that his old side have the edge ahead of tonight's crunch game between the league’s top two sides at the Etihad.
Arsenal go into the game with a five point lead at the top of the table, albeit having played two games more.
Defeat for the Gunners would reduce the gap to two points and given City’s ominous form, the defending champions would be heavy favourites to retain their title.
For Elliott, it’s a bigger game for Arsenal and he believes that if the Gunners are beaten, City will go on to win the league.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, he said: "Manchester City are just like a steam train at this moment in time, every challenge that’s put in front of them, they just seem to knock it out of the park.
"Arsenal when they perform, they’re very hard to deal with.
"We saw in the Liverpool game in the first-half at Anfield you’re thinking it could have 4-0 or 5-0 to Arsenal. Then they concede a goal and that little bit of nervousness creeps in.
"They’re the two best teams in the Premier League by far this year, both playing a very exciting brand of football.
"If Man City win tonight I think it will be very tough for Arsenal to win the league whereas if Arsenal win tonight I don’t think that’s the league done and dusted, I still think there will be more twists and turns along the way.
"I think it’s more important for Arsenal to get a result tonight than Man City. I think Man City will win, they quality they have, it being at the Etihad and just having been here before."
Elsewhere in the Premier League 18-year-old Ireland striker Evan Ferguson was in the headlines yesterday after he signed a new long-term deal with his club Brighton.
Ferguson joined Albion from Bohemians back in January 2021 and has made impressive forward strides ever since, culminating in a new five-year contract for the striker.
Elliott believes that it's the right move for Ferguson at this stage of his career, despite the interest he's been attracting from other teams.
"There's a lot of clubs being touted around that might be interested in signing Ferguson," he said.
"The obvious ones are Manchester United and Chelsea and if you looked at both of those teams you’d say that Ferguson would be the type of striker that could go in and be well suited to both of those squads.
"He signed his new deal with Brighton, I’m sure it’s a very good financial package for the lad but he can just concentrate on getting his head down and hopefully continuing to develop.
"He’s at a very good club in Brighton, they play some good football, he knows the club well and he seems to have a good relationship with the supporters, the players and the management staff.
"It’s a just reward for him for the performances he’s been putting in all season."
