Former England captain Wayne Rooney believes Manchester City hold a significant psychological advantage over Arsenal in the Premier League title race, citing their championship pedigree as the decisive factor.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney emphasized that City's experience in winning titles gives them a crucial edge as the season reaches its climax. "City know how to win the title and have a manager who knows how to do it," Rooney stated. "I think City will have the edge on that, just purely the manager and players they've got. They will be able to stay a little calmer than the Arsenal players."
Rooney pointed to recent results that have tightened the title race, with Manchester City defeating Chelsea 3-0 on Sunday while Arsenal suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Bournemouth the previous day. This leaves Arsenal just six points clear at the top, though they have played one more game than their rivals.
The two title contenders face a crucial showdown at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, which Rooney described as potentially decisive. "Whoever wins Sunday's title decider in Manchester will be favorites to win the league," he predicted.
Rooney suggested Arsenal might need to adopt a pragmatic approach to secure a positive result against the defending champions. He believes a draw would represent "a good point" for Mikel Arteta's side, who may need to "play dirty" to contain City's attacking threat.
"They must be tough to break down, make sure there's no gaps between the lines and try to hit them on the break," Rooney advised. "Whether the fans like that type of football or not, they have to do anything to stop City winning. They need to be resilient enough to stop City from scoring."
The former Manchester United striker also highlighted the psychological pressure Arsenal players might be experiencing as they chase their first Premier League title in nearly two decades. "They will be worried because when you go on a run and lose a few games, you start thinking 'where's the next goal, the next win going to come from?' That negative mindset really has an impact on your performance."
With just weeks remaining in the season, Rooney's analysis underscores how mental fortitude and championship experience could prove as important as tactical brilliance in determining this year's Premier League champion.