Former Man United star explains why Arsenal have advantage over Man City in title race

Mikael Silvestre believes Arsenal have what it takes to clinch the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners were left with egg on their faces last year when they blew an eight-point lead. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City side surpassed them in February and never looked back on their quest for a historic treble.

Many feared City would prove unstoppable again this season but cracks have begun to show in recent weeks. Losing 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium almost a fortnight ago was their third straight defeat in domestic competitions.

Losing Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan has weakened the squad, with their replacements yet to hit the ground running. Throw in a long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne and the champions do not look as unbeatable as previous campaigns.

By contrast, Arsenal spent another £200million in the summer to build on their second-placed finish. Declan Rice has looked every bit like a £100million midfielder to enhance the Gunners’ engine room.

Speaking to GGRecon, former Arsenal and Manchester United defender Silvestre insisted Mikel Arteta is “better equipped” to get over the line in May. He said: “They could do it (win the Premier League title). But I’m not going to say they will win it, as that would be a foolish thing to say when you consider how long the season is.

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“They are better equipped than they were last season. They’ve strengthened their squad in key areas, and they have greater self-belief. Last season, they competed for the Premier League title with a young squad.

“But now they are a year older