Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has made bold claims regarding the title race involving Arsenal and Manchester City.
The former France international has claimed that he does not agree with fellow former Manchester United stars Roy Keane and Gary Neville regarding the Gunners’ title chances.
Both Keane and Neville backed Manchester City to win the Premier League despite the Cityzens trailing the Gunners by five points.
However, Patrice Evra has claimed that he believes that the London-based club have all the ingredients to win the Premier League title.
The Frenchman has hailed the Gunners’ consistency and has tipped them for glory if they can remain mentally strong. He told Betfair:
“We keep saying Arsenal have proven themselves against Chelsea, against Tottenham and now against United, but everyone also keeps saying they’ve still got to face Man City.”
“If I was an Arsenal player, I’d be fuming, I bet they can’t wait to play City. Even if City beat them in both matches in the Premier League, they still have a chance of winning the title if they are strong mentally.
“I don’t agree with Roy Keane and Gary Neville, I don’t think City will win the league, I think Arsenal will win. The way they are playing consistently, I don’t see that with City.”
Evra, however, has insisted that Manchester City can turn things around and the Gunners cannot afford to lose their focus. He added:
“I feel like Guardiola is still looking for something, that perfect combination. When you have a team like Arsenal, desperate to win the league, you can’t waste any time.
“City are City and if I was Arsenal I’d prefer it if it was another team chasing them down. You have to respect City and be careful of them.”
Arsenal edge closer to completing transfer of Italian midfielder with £26 million release clause
The Gunners are reportedly looking to bolster their midfield with the signing of Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba.
Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias have claimed that the Gunners are leading the chase for the Italian youngster.
Bamba is predominantly a defensive midfielder but can also fill in at centre-back when required.
The Gunners are closing in on a deal worth £26 million, which is the player’s release clause.
Bamba has made 23 appearances across competitions for Vit. Guimaraes this season.
The London outfit have already signed two players in the January window, in the form of Leandro Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion and Jakub Kiwior from Spezia.