'Real pressure' - Man Utd legend Rooney makes sobering Arsenal prediction, Gooners won't be happy

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney made a sobering prediction about Arsenal’s chances ahead of the title run-in.

Arsenal have been the surprise package of the season. With just ten games to go the Gunners are eight points clear at the summit of the Premier League, albeit having played a game more than nearest challengers Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s youthful side have dazzled this term and are now on course to claim their first Premier League title since 2004 when Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles went an entire season unbeaten.

However, despite enduring a topsy-turvy campaign City are an ominous challenger. Pep Guardiola’s side have title-winning credentials, having claimed four of the last five Premier Leagues.

Meanwhile, they are coming into some form, entering the international break having put seven goals past RB Leipzig and beaten Burnley 6-0 in the FA Cup.

And United legend Rooney insisted City remained favourites to claim the title, despite Arsenal’s points advantage ahead of the run-in.

Rooney on Arsenal's chances

Rooney, who is United’s record goal scorer, warned that Arsenal are about to come under “real pressure”, and claimed that City would likely “pip” Arteta’s men to the title.

“I hope Arsenal do win it [but] I think City will pip them to it. It’s going to be intriguing,” Rooney said via Football365.

“I think because Arsenal have not been in this position for a long time, and it can be a lot of pressure to go with that.

“Once you start getting into the last 10 games of the season that’s when the real pressure starts.

“And so I’m really interested to see if they can sustain what they’ve been doing all season.”

Rooney echoed the thoughts of his former United team-mate Gary Neville, who stressed earlier this month that Arsenal were yet to prove they could handle the pressure of the run-in.

Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast: “Arsenal haven’t proven to me that they can handle the last 10 games of a run-in. They haven’t proven that to me. And when they do, I’ll take my hat off to them and say congratulations.

“But I’m not going to change [my prediction] because I know how difficult those last 10 games are.

“And they could do it, but I still feel Manchester City have got massive experience and if they hunt them down in that last few weeks it’s tough!

“I’ve been hunted down three or four times and lost, and I’ve hunted other teams down five or six times and won so I know how it feels.

“If your legs go in that last few weeks it can be two or three weeks to go and it can just turn.”