Joe Cole 'still all in on Arsenal' in Manchester City battle but warns 'what will happen' if they don't win Premier League title
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By Ben Grounds
Updated 13/11/2025 at 17:49 GMT
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In the latest episode of The Breakdown, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole believes Arsenal have demonstrated why they are the team to catch in the Premier League title race having added extra firepower to their attack in the summer, but has warned that Manchester City have the experience to surpass their rivals having closed the gap to four points following their 3-0 win over champions Liverpool.
‘There’s nothing in it’ - The Breakdown panel debate Arsenal and Man City's title chances
Video credit: TNT Sports
Joe Cole says he is "all in" on Arsenal winning the Premier League title this season - but has warned "what will happen" if they don't succeed.
The Gunners are four points clear at the top of the table after 11 matches, with Manchester City in second place.
Champions Liverpool are spending the third international break of the campaign licking their wounds following a 3-0 defeat to City that left them eight points off top spot.
Arsenal - who dramatically drew 1-1 with City back in September thanks to Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time equaliser - have failed to lift the title since 2004, and Cole believes the weight of history, along with City's predatory instincts, makes the title race far from a foregone conclusion.
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'It hurts' - Arteta demands Arsenal 'learn' from Sunderland draw
Video credit: SNTV
Asked which one of City and Liverpool is more intimidating as chasers, Cole said on The Breakdown on TNT Sports: "It’s like choosing which one to be chased by, a grizzly bear or a lion.
"They’re both going to eat you if they catch you. Just got to get the blinkers on and run!"
Manchester City have twice chased down Arsenal to win the league since Mikel Arteta took charge.
But the Gunners’ consistency so far suggests this may finally be the year they triumph.
"I'm still all in on Arsenal," continued Cole.
"For this version of Arsenal, the problem in the last few years was experience. Did they have the centre forward? It looks like they've got someone who can help them in that department.
"The players look more mature. They're not conceding goals. If [Erling] Haaland misses three or four weeks of the season and he misses five or six games, they can't afford too many slip-ups.
"I still think Arsenal's best is better than Man City. It's marginal...I just think there's something in that group of players.
"This new version of Manchester City might win it this year. They could do. I think they'll win it next year. But this is Arsenal's year.
"It has to be Arsenal's year, because I'll tell you what will happen. If Arsenal don't win anything this year, this isn’t me causing trouble; there are about three or four of their players who will be thinking, ‘this is never going to happen’. They have to do it this year."
Will experience count against Arsenal?
Arsenal return from the international break to face Tottenham in the first North London derby of the season at Emirates Stadium on November 23.
Arteta saw his side's 10-game winning run in all competitions ended dramatically at Sunderland last weekend after Brian Brobbey's stoppage-time goal secured a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
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TNT Sports expert Owen Hargreaves believes City have what it takes to mount a serious challenge, having swept away Liverpool so convincingly - but warned that Arsenal's strength in depth in the full-back area could be important.
"The only thing I would say for City is, I think when the push comes to shove, because Arsenal haven't done it yet, these guys have done it. So I would say City are ahead," Hargreaves said.
"The only thing stopping Man City is a right-back. I think Pep’s doing a good job of creating a right back in [Matheus] Nunes there.
"But you think what Arsenal have in terms of replacements...Myles Lewis-Skelly and [Riccardo] Calafiori at left-back. You've got Ben White and [Jurrien] Timber at right-back. I think that's the only position for City."
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Highlights: Merino double secures victory for Gunners
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Ally McCoist concurred with the assessment that City's previous experience of getting over the line during the run-in could count in their favour.
"The reservation would be that they've not done it," said McCoist. "That's the big reservation. However, I don't know whether the boys agree. I just smell something different about Arsenal this year."
"Time will tell - we're aware of that [previous Arsenal collapses]. But I don't know, I just look at them and I can just kind of smell something different about them this year. Whether it's a belief. I don't know whether it's a togetherness.
"Certainly, the squad is as strong as an Arsenal squad we've ever seen. I just think it's a little bit different this year."
Are Man City too reliant on Haaland?
Joleon Lescott, who won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup at City, feels Arsenal have shown the consistency required to end their 22-year wait to be crowned champions.
But what if the race goes down to the wire?
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Highlights: Foden scores twice and Haaland nets again in win
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"If it becomes a shootout and it becomes really close in points, I think City can win it, but Arsenal's worst isn't that far from their best. I think they're so consistent, whereas City, if they're bad, they could lose. They could lose two out of five.
"When you get to the business end of the season and you’re still in the Champions League, if they don't start Haaland, and it’s not just missing games from injury, just resting him because we've got whoever in the Champions League three days later...we can honestly say there's no replacement for Haaland, regardless of who he is. Probably Harry Kane's the only one in world football.
"I just think that one element to their team - when we used to talk about Rodri, we were so reliant on Rodri because the replacement wasn't the same. I think that's the same now with Haaland."
Watch and stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
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