Shaun Wright-Phillips backs Arsenal for PL title and explains why Bernardo Silva is irreplaceable

Arsenal have spent most of the season at the top of the Premier League, showing consistency even during periods when performances have not always been at their best. Mikel Arteta’s side have managed to keep Manchester City chasing for much of the campaign, and City’s dropped points against Everton on Monday evening have only strengthened the Gunners’ position in the title race. It is one of the main reasons why ex-Citizen Shaun Wright-Phillips believes Arsenal are now favourites to win the league.

Away from the title race, Manchester City are also preparing for a major change this summer, with Bernardo Silva expected to leave the club. After nearly a decade at the Etihad and over 450 appearances, the Portuguese midfielder looks set to move on, leaving a huge gap in Pep Guardiola’s squad. Wright-Phillips, speaking both as a pundit and a former City player, discussed not only the title battle but also why Silva will be so difficult for City to replace.

Arsenal are now in the driving seat

When it comes to the title race, Wright-Phillips, a self-confessed City fan, has a measured take. He acknowledges the quality of Guardiola's team and their recovery from a difficult last season, but struggles to see a way in for City to usurp Arsenal, given how long Arsenal have spent at the top of the league.

"I'm a City fan, of course. I want to see them win it, but at the end of the day, you can't knock the fact that Arsenal have been top of the Premier League for 250 plus days."

The dropped points at Goodison Park now mean that the title race is firmly in Arsenal’s hands. Wright-Phillips begrudgingly feels that the Gunners will go on to win the title.

"Whether we get level on points with them or not, it's still Arsenal's to throw away; they're still in charge of it. But then obviously, dropping points against Everton, which could have happened to anybody."

"The way Arsenal have been playing, it's just now in their hands. If Arsenal slip up again, then City have another chance."

"But now it's Arsenal’s once again to put to bed, so it's in their hands. At the minute it's Arsenal. I see Arsenal winning the title until things change."

Many of the best betting sites will still heavily favour Arsenal to end their title drought, but when it comes to City, you really can’t ever rule them out entirely with Pep at the helm.

The irreplaceable Bernardo Silva

The announcement that Bernardo Silva will leave at the end of the season has been met with widespread sadness among the City faithful. Wright-Phillips believes the loss will be felt most acutely not in the tactical or technical sense, but in the cultural fabric of the dressing room.

"That will be a massive blow, not just on the pitch. I reckon in many ways it'll be more off the pitch as well."

"I know he's crucial and integral to the way the team bonds together. On the pitch, you know what he does."

One of the more undervalued aspects of Silva’s game is his off the ball work, resilience and durability. The Portuguese international has played 455 games for Manchester City since making the switch from AS Monaco back in 2017.

"He has all the qualities and he's running it. He's Mr. Reliable. He's very rarely injured. I think that he's played something like 400 games and missed three games through injury. That in itself is an achievement because he's a man that runs 12km or more every game."

The former England international is careful not to overstate what City can realistically do in the transfer market to mitigate the loss. The search for a direct replacement, he argues, is a fool's errand. He suggests that Guardiola may have to find a different player who shifts the identity of the team as we currently know it.

"You're gonna miss a lot about him, and you never replace players like that. You find a player that can do a similar thing, maybe in a different way, and that will also change the dynamics of the way the club will play games next year."

"It's very rare that players like that, especially if they're foreign, are here until they retire."

Read more as a former Arsenal striker backs Mikel Arteta to succeed as manager