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Former Premier League footballer Tim Sherwood has backed Newcastle United to challenge for the title this season if Arsenal fails to do so. The Englishman believes the Magpies will pose a strong challenge this campaign owing to their lack of European fixtures.
Newcastle did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League or the Europa League last season and as a result, have a more relaxed schedule than their English counterparts.
The Gunners, who are currently leading the Premier League table, are not the only ones who have had a brilliant start to the 2022-23 campaign. Newcastle finds themselves in third place after an impressive run of games and have lost only once so far this season.
The Magpies secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on November 6, which helped them leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur into third place.
Sherwood insists that Newcastle would be 'the bigger shout' than other teams in the title race against last year's champions, Manchester City if the Gunners are unable to triumph.
The Englishman told Premier League Productions (via HITC):
“If it’s not Arsenal have we not got a title race? If it’s not Arsenal, who is it going to be? Because I think Newcastle would be the bigger shout. The reason why I say that, is not because they are in third position, of course, they are in third. But there is no Champions League. No Europa League. They are going to strengthen. If they win this weekend, then they will be, at least third, going into Christmas. It’s an opportunity.”
Rio Ferdinand hints at Arsenal's Premier League title prospects following Chelsea triumph
The Gunners put on a strong performance in their 1-0 victory over Chelsea on 6 November. Gabriel Magalhaes scored the winning goal as the north London outfit took home all three points.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand lavished praise on Mikel Arteta's side following the encounter. He said on BT Sport (via Football.London):
"How many times did we look at each other when a phase of play happened and it was all because of the way Arsenal were making moves on the pitch? A real top performance. These types of games are hard and they make it look as easy as you can make it."
Hinting at the Gunners possibly winning the title this season, he added:
"Are this team the real deal? There’s something there, togetherness, you can smell it in this team. The way they celebrate. There’s an authority of how Arsenal are playing under this Mikel Arteta."
