Gary Neville believes Arsenal are on course to finally dethrone Manchester City, but warns that the run-in will test every nerve in north London.

Arsenal’s narrow 2-1 victory over Chelsea restored a five-point cushion at the top of the Premier League, coming hot on the heels of City’s win over Leeds. It was also a statement of resilience after the late collapse at Wolves that had revived doubts about Mikel Arteta’s side.

Neville, assessing the title race, argued that those scars may now be Arsenal’s greatest strength. “They have quality, physical strength and experience of the last three years of losing it. They know this is going to be hard work. They’ve got 10 more weeks of pain, these Arsenal fans watching in the crowd, watching at home. This is not going to be pleasant, it’s going to be anxious, but they’ve got to enjoy the thrill of it.”

The former Manchester United defender pointed to the psychological weight of a 22-year title drought, symbolised by constant references to the 2004 Invincibles. “They have got to try to get rid of that. In the last three years they’ve been up against City and Liverpool and lost out. They’ve got to call upon those experiences and dig in like you wouldn’t believe – and they’re doing that.”

Yet Neville sees one opponent beyond City that could derail Arsenal: the calendar. Arteta’s team remain alive in every competition, facing the prospect of up to 21 matches in just 87 days if they reach both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

Summer additions such as Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres have deepened the squad, but Neville insists Arteta must be ruthless in his rotation. “You can’t throw away a Champions League, you can’t throw away a Carabao Cup final, so how Mikel Arteta rotates, how he uses his squad, how he stays clear of injuries is going to be important. The FA Cup does give him a chance to take a risk. That might be the competition they falter in.”

On the pitch, Arsenal continue to find decisive moments. David Raya’s late save and Jurrien Timber’s winner from a corner underlined a team thriving on fine margins and set-piece precision, with Arsenal now level with the Premier League record for goals from corners in a single season.

Neville’s verdict is clear: the pain is coming, but so, he believes, is the payoff.