“I can’t lie” – Rio Ferdinand makes confident Premier League title prediction but has clear preference on who should win

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester City will retain their Premier League crown despite the early pressure from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Cityzens have clinched five of the last six league titles, only failing to win in the 2019-20 season, finishing behind Liverpool. They have been challenged well by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal in recent years but always found a way to win.

This season, Manchester City are third in the table after eight games, two points behind leaders Tottenham and second-placed Arsenal. The Gunners were engaged in an intense Premier League title race last season but faltered towards the end.

Despite City being third in the table, Ferdinand believes they will win the title but admitted that he would like Arsenal or Tottenham to beat them. He said on his Vibe with Five podcast (via Mirror):

"I still think City will win. Arsenal are in there, Arsenal have a good chance, I can't lie. Arsenal have got a massive chance. I'd actually like Arsenal to win it this year, I would. Because that would mean City don't win four in a row."

"I'd actually prefer Spurs. Come on Ange, come on Ange, I am Spurs mad," he added. "This geezer's brought something into that squad that we haven't seen for a long time.

"They were pining for Pochettino at one point, they've moved on now. They've moved on and now they've got a guy who they believe in. We're eight games in so I'm not going to get carried away, but there's such an uplift at that football club because of what that man has done."

Arsenal and Tottenham are the only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League so far this season, each with six wins and two draws.

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Manchester City lose 2 consecutive Premier League games for the first time since 2018

The Cityzens had a stellar start to the 2023-24 season, winning their first six Premier League games. They looked set to continue with their dominance and retain the title.

However, they have lost their last two league games and dropped to third in the table. The Cityzens lost 2-1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers on September 30 before losing 1-0 to Arsenal on October 8.

Manchester City last lost two Premier League games in a row back in the 2018-19 season against Crystal Palace and Leicester City. That, however, spurred them on to sheer dominance as they won 18 of their remaining 19 games to lift the title.