Gary Neville says Arsenal's back line is good enough to win the Premier League again. Speaking to metro.co.uk, the former Manchester United defender argued that no other side in the division currently matches Arsenal's defensive unit, and he put that case ahead of any talk about their attack.
Arsenal's back four is the centre of Neville's case
Neville said Arsenal have already got eight amazing defenders and have now added another really good centre-half. He also described the combination of Jurriën Timber, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães as a proper back four with David Raya behind them.
That is why he went as far as saying Arsenal are better than everyone else defensively by a million miles, and he linked that directly to their title chances. Neville added that Manchester City used to have that sort of unit when they were winning the league, and that he does not see it in the same way now.
Arsenal's defensive numbers from last season fit the argument. They finished the 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a 26-7-5 record and conceded only 27 goals, then opened this season with a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August 2026.
Rivals still do not look as settled
Neville's point was not just about Arsenal looking strong, it was also about the rest of the league looking less settled at the back. He said Chelsea's Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix and Wesley Fofana are talented but not yet a unit, and he also questioned whether Manchester United have enough cover at full-back.
That contrast is part of why Arsenal stand out to him. Chelsea finished the 2025 league season with a 14-10-14 record, while Manchester United were stronger at 20-11-7, but Neville still sees Arsenal as the side with the clearest defensive structure.
Arsenal have won their last five competitive matches, and they have already shown they can carry that organisation into big games. They beat Burnley 1-0 on 18 May 2026 and Crystal Palace 2-1 on 24 May 2026, before the Community Shield win over City.
The challenge now is to keep that level once the Premier League season settles into its rhythm, with Arsenal already having the defensive base Neville thinks can carry them through to another title race.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
