Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand has said Manchester City should consider Arsenal as the “real deal”.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table with 36 points, six more than City who have dropped to fourth, following their 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa.
City are now winless in four matches and are also behind Liverpool and Villa on the log.
But Ferdinand feels the team Pep Guardiola’s men should be worried about is Arsenal.
He said: “I don’t actually think Arsenal have got to the level that they played at last season yet, performance-wise.
“But look where they are, so they ain’t even playing particularly well, or as well as we’ve seen them, consistently, and they’re still top of the league.
“They’re a problem. They’re going to be a problem. If I’m City, I’m looking at them and thinking ‘this is the real deal, we’re going to have to go to the wire again, we can’t afford to be dropping points at Villa the way we did, because these guys look like they are going to be relentless again’. I think Liverpool could push themselves in there somewhere, but I just think they’re going to be a bit off.
“I said at the beginning of the season that City would win the league… I ain’t as convinced now. I still think City will win it, but I would not be surprised if Arsenal go and win it.”
