According to a report by Metro on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, according to Joe Cole, a former Chelsea midfielder, Manchester City will win the Premier League title instead of Arsenal—but only if the reigning champions are able to overturn their guilty verdict for alleged financial rule violations.

Cole, who won three Premier League crowns with Chelsea, thinks Arsenal have a good chance of keeping the trophy if Manchester City are unable to appeal the decision.

Over a hundred violations of financial regulations spanning 2009–2018 were found guilty by City by an impartial commission. The club has filed an appeal, claiming that there were major mistakes in law, principle, and fact in the commission's decision.

As they contest the results, City has also insisted that there is substantial evidence to back their stance.

Cole said on the podcast The Dressing Room that his title race prediction could be significantly affected by the outcome of the appeal.

He had originally picked Arsenal, but now he thinks Manchester City have a legitimate shot at winning it all if their legal challenge is successful.

The former England international went on to say that even if City were to lose their appeal, Arsenal would still be considered heavy favorites because the other Premier League teams still have work to do to catch up to them.

With identical records thus far this season, Arsenal and Manchester City are tied at the top of the Premier League standings after eight matches.

Arsenal, managed by Mikel Arteta, have won three in a row in the league after suffering an unexpected 3-0 loss to Brighton just before the international break. In the Champions League, Arsenal and Bayern Munich were also tied at two goals apiece.

In the meantime, since the commission's guilty verdict, Manchester City has gone winless in two of their last five matches. This past Saturday, they endured their first Premier League loss of the season, a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, adding insult to injury.

With Manchester City's legal appeal in limbo, Liverpool great Jamie Carragher thinks Arsenal are the team to beat.

After failing to sign their desired targets during the summer transfer window, Carragher cast doubt on Arsenal's offensive prowess, claiming that the club was missing a game-changing superstar in the final third.

Furthermore, he implied that Arteta's focus on defensive solidity occasionally limits the team's ability to attack freely.

But the former Liverpool defender did give credit to Arsenal's depth of squad, saying that every position on the Gunners' roster has two top-tier candidates. Their overall strength, he said, makes them hard to beat, and Manchester City is their only real rival.

As the title contenders get ready for another crucial round of Premier League fixtures, Arsenal will play Liverpool away on Sunday and Manchester City will host Brighton on Saturday.