Arsenal 'are gone' in Premier League title race due to big game failures as Premier League legend backs Man City turnaround

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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has sensationally claimed that Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes are over following a damaging weekend in the race for the crown. The former midfielder believes the momentum has swung firmly back in favour of Manchester City after the Gunners failed to maintain their cushion at the summit.

Gunners stumble in title pursuit

The landscape of the Premier League title race shifted dramatically over the weekend as Arsenal saw their lead at the top of the table trimmed to just six points.

Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a surprise 2-1 loss at home to Bournemouth, while Manchester City exerted their dominance with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

With Pep Guardiola’s side still holding a game in hand over their rivals, the pressure is mounting ahead of a decisive head-to-head clash at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday.

For Scholes, the recent swing in results suggests that the psychological advantage now rests entirely with the blue half of Manchester as the season enters its final stretch.

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Scholes identifies big game weakness

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Scholes was blunt in his assessment of Arsenal's credentials. The 11-time Premier League winner suggested that the Gunners lack the clinical edge required to navigate the high-pressure environment of a title run-in, specifically pointing to their record in marquee fixtures.

"I just think Arsenal are gone and all of the momentum is with Manchester City," Scholes said. "At some point you’ve got to beat your rivals to win the league. I’ve not seen them do it, they don’t win big games. I can’t see anything other than a City win on Sunday, I just can’t."

Guardiola's tactical evolution

While City struggled for their usual levels of consistency earlier in the campaign, they have found form at the perfect time. Since their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, City have secured the Carabao Cup and advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals, showing the kind of domestic ruthlessness that has defined the Guardiola era.

Scholes noted that the Catalan manager has had to take a more hands-on approach this term to integrate new talents into his system.

"Pep has had to coach this team in the last six months more than he’s ever had to do in years and years," Scholes added. "The teams he’s had (in the past), he’s just had to sit back and watch."

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Managing the next generation

The transition period at the Etihad has seen younger stars like Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki take on more prominent roles, requiring a different style of leadership from the dugout. Scholes believes this active management has been the catalyst for City's resurgence as they look to hunt down Arteta's men.

"Now in this last six to 12 months, he’s had to coach them," the former England international explained. "The likes of (Jeremy) Doku and (Rayan) Cherki, he’s got to talk them through games a little bit and he’s not really done that for a while".