Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with Arsenal, former England captain Wayne Rooney thinks Manchester City has a psychological edge in the Premier League title chase.
The league leaders head to the Etihad Stadium for what Rooney described as a possible “title decider,” with six points ahead after playing one more game.
In an interview with The Wayne Rooney Show, he stated that City “has a manager who knows how to do it” and “know how to win the title.”
“I believe City will have the advantage in that, solely based on their players and manager. Compared to the Arsenal players, they will be able to maintain a little more composure, according to Rooney.
They will be concerned because when you go on a winning streak and lose a few games, you start to wonder where the next goal or victory will come from. Your performance is significantly impacted by your pessimistic attitude.
Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to AFC Bournemouth was followed by a 3-0 victory over Chelsea by City.
According to Rooney, the winner of Sunday’s match in Manchester will be the front-runner for the championship. Additionally, he pushed Mikel Arteta’s team to take a practical stance and said that a draw would be “a good point” for Arsenal.
He remarked, “They must be difficult to break down, make sure there are no gaps between the lines, and try to hit them on the break.”
“Whether or whether the supporters enjoy that style of football, they must take all necessary steps to prevent City from winning. To prevent City from scoring, they must be strong enough.
After Spurs’ relegation, Rooney warns them
Additionally, Rooney raised the alarm for Tottenham Hotspur, who finish the weekend in the relegation zone following their loss to Sunderland and West Ham United’s triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He called Spurs’ performance in the northeast “a bit flat,” claiming that Roberto De Zerbi’s debut game as manager did not produce the anticipated new manager bounce.
“I believe you get that when a new manager comes in and you are front-footed and aggressive on the ball, but sometimes you get a bounce,” he stated. “I assumed they were somewhere in between.”
Rooney cautioned that the next manager needs to move fast to improve the situation.
“If they do go [down], it will be disastrous for them,” he declared. “I believe that’s where some of those guys are likely thinking that if they lose, they can move on and join another team.
“It will be a complete nightmare for them if they don’t return to the Premier League in the first year.”
After failing to win any league games in 2026, Tottenham will next host Brighton & Hove Albion. Rooney maintains that it is imperative to end the drought.
“They give themselves a chance if they can accomplish that,” he remarked. “The longer they don’t win, the harder it gets.”
