Gary Neville speaks on title races, and his assessment of Arsenal’s latest Premier League outing was delivered with the kind of sharp clarity that has become familiar to his viewers.
The former Manchester United defender watched the Gunners edge past Wolves with a late, chaotic winner and came away unconvinced that the Gunners should be relying on such fine margins.
Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over the league’s bottom side on Saturday night was dramatic, but it was also uncomfortable. An injury-time own goal from Yerson Mosquera eventually sealed the points, yet it did little to hide what Neville sees as worrying signs beneath the surface.
With Manchester City waiting patiently in pursuit, any hint of vulnerability, he argues, could be costly.
The match itself had swung awkwardly. Sam Johnstone’s own goal gave Arsenal an early advantage, but Wolves refused to lie down. Deep into stoppage time, Tolu Arokodare’s header appeared to have stolen a point for the visitors, briefly silencing the home crowd and raising familiar questions about Arsenal’s nerve.
Only in the final moments did fortune smile on Mikel Arteta’s side, as Mosquera inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.
That outcome nudged Arsenal two points clear at the top, though Manchester City’s emphatic 3-0 win at Crystal Palace the following day ensured the pressure barely eased. Gary Neville speaks on title races, stating that the result papered over cracks rather than providing reassurance.
He was clear about the message he felt should have been delivered behind closed doors after the final whistle.
“If you’re getting into the changing room after the game, I think you’re probably getting a little bit of a telling off from your coach, saying basically, ‘That’s not good enough and you need to step your level of performance up.’”
Neville’s concern is not rooted in a single off-night, but in the idea that standards must remain relentless at this stage of the season. Against opponents rooted to the bottom of the table, Arsenal were expected to dominate. Instead, they flirted with danger and survived through a mixture of resilience and luck.
“If you play like that too many times then you won’t win this league,” he said, underlining the unforgiving nature of a title race that has been shaped by Manchester City’s near-perfection over recent years.
To his credit, Neville acknowledged the reality of a long campaign. Even the strongest sides endure scrappy wins, off-days and moments of uncertainty.
Arsenal’s ability to grind out results has, in many ways, been a hallmark of their progress under Arteta. Yet Neville senses that the balance between resilience and complacency is delicate.
“On the other hand, part of you is saying that you’re going to have performances and moments like this during the season and it’s not all going to be plain sailing,” he said, offering a brief note of understanding.
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Still, that understanding quickly gave way to alarm. The former defender painted a vivid picture of how players themselves should react when standards drop.
“If I was in the dressing room I’d be giving myself a little bit of a slap around the face and saying, ‘Wake up, come on! We’re going to be in danger if we carry on playing at this level.’”
Neville did concede that results ultimately matter most. “There has been a little bit of a dip for Arsenal in terms of performance, but it was important that they did get those three points, that is vital,” he said.
In isolation, the win keeps Arsenal in control of their destiny. In context, it raises questions about whether control truly exists.
Manchester City’s presence amplifies every Arsenal wobble. Pep Guardiola’s side have built a reputation for turning springtime pressure into sustained winning runs. They do not need rivals to collapse entirely; they merely require hesitation. For Neville, Arsenal’s display against Wolves hinted at exactly that.