Former Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce has snubbed Pep Guardiola’s side and Arsenal while naming Newcastle United as the team to win Premier League glory this season.
Asked if he feels Man City would win the Premier League title again after their recent back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Arsenal, Pearce told talkSPORT: “No, in all honesty. At the start of the season, I predicted Newcastle to win the league and I’m not going to back away from that. I’m still sticking with it.
I don’t think Man City will win the league. Losing Kevin De Bruyne [to injury] for the length of time they did at the start of the season is one of the main reasons.
“Make no mistake; whoever finishes above them will win the league, because they will still be in the top two. I just think this year, after what they achieved last year, they will drop a little bit. I’m not judging it on the last two defeats; that is irrelevant to me. When De Bruyne is not in the team, Erling Haaland loses something. It is his supply line.”
He added: “They are a brilliant team and they will be right up there but I think with Arsenal and Liverpool, they have tougher challenges there, and I think Newcastle will go on a run. It looks like we have lost Manchester United and Chelsea in the title race. They have not shown enough in their performances. I still think Tottenham, if they lose Son Heung-min or James Maddison, it will affect them. The way the fixtures have panned out so far has helped them a little bit.”
