Gary Neville names team likely to challenge Manchester City for the PL title next season

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville doesn't expect Arsenal to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title next season. Instead, he believes that Liverpool will battle the Cityzens for the championship.

Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on May 20 crowned Manchester City as the Premier League champions for the 2022-23 season, giving them their third title in a row.

Though Arsenal led the title race for most of the season, City switched gears since their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in February. Since then, they have just dropped two points in the league, a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest.

Gary Neville, who is an eight-time Premier League winner, has stated that Liverpool are the only team who can push Manchester City for the league title, having proven their credentials over the last few campaigns. The former United defender told Sky Sports (via Football365):

“I know Arsenal have run City close this year but the only team I can say that have demonstrated they can get close to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.”

He added:

“They’ve dropped well below their standards this season but you don’t know whether they’ll get back to those standards next season – because they’ve proven they can do it before.”

Neville stated that Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, have been guided well in tough times to put together a consistently stunning run of form. He explained:

“Manchester City’s players have real quality, that goes without saying, but in the most difficult moments they’re able to put a run together and come through difficult challenges.”

He continued:

“That takes a lot, it takes a manager to guide them and bring stability. Other clubs have to look at that model – it happened at Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, at Liverpool under Bob Paisley and Bill Shankley, and Arsene Wenger had a period at Arsenal.”

He concluded:

“You’ve got to be a great manager and have a great group of players to be able to do it consistently like [City] have. The other teams have got to aspire to that. At this moment in time, the ones who’ve proved it over the last five, six years are Liverpool.”

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“Only the greatest managers of all time have done this type of thing” - Gary Neville praises Pep Guardiola following Manchester City's title win

Gary Neville has dismissed the idea that any manager could replicate Pep Guardiola's success at Manchester City.

Guardiola led the club to the Premier League title this season, their fifth in six seasons. He could lead them to a continental treble this season, as City are also in the running to win the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville gave Guardiola due credit for the club's success, saying (via Manchester Evening News):

“Honestly, this suggestion that you could give any manager these players and they could go and win three (trophies) is absolute nonsense. Only the greatest managers of all time have done this type of thing through the history of the last 100 years of English football, so don’t let any of that sink into your head.”

Manchester City will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3 before squaring off against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final a week later.