Wayne Rooney Backs Manchester City for Premier League Title, Warns Tottenham Hotspur of Trouble

Before Sunday’s matchup with Arsenal, former England captain Wayne Rooney thinks Manchester City has a psychological edge in the Premier League title chase.

After playing an extra game, the league leaders, now six points ahead, head to the Etihad Stadium for what Rooney described as a possible “title decider.”

He claimed that City “know how to win the title” and “have a manager who knows how to do it” when speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show.

“Just based on their players and manager, I believe City will have the advantage on that. They’ll be able to maintain a bit more composure than the Arsenal guys,” Rooney remarked.

“They will be concerned because you start wondering, ‘Where’s the next goal, the next win going to come from?’ when you go on a run and lose a few games. Your performance is actually impacted by that pessimistic outlook.

After Arsenal lost to AFC Bournemouth 2-1, City increased their momentum by defeating Chelsea 3-0.

Rooney stated that the winner of Sunday’s match in Manchester will be the front-runner for the championship. Additionally, he advised Mikel Arteta’s team to take a practical stance and said that a draw would be “a good point” for Arsenal.

“Make sure there are no gaps between the lines, try to hit them on the break, and they must be difficult to break down,” he stated.

“Fans must take any action to prevent City from winning, regardless of whether they enjoy that style of play. They must be strong enough to keep City from scoring.

After the relegation slide, Rooney warns Spurs
Additionally, Rooney raised the alarm for West Ham United’s victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, who finish the weekend in the relegation zone following a loss at Sunderland.

He called Spurs’ performance in the northeast “a bit flat,” stating that Roberto De Zerbi’s debut game as manager did not produce the anticipated new-manager bounce.

“I think you get that when a new manager comes in and you are front-footed and aggressive on the ball, but sometimes you get a bounce,” he remarked. “I believed they were somewhat in the middle.”

Rooney cautioned that in order to improve outcomes, the incoming manager must move fast.

He declared, “If they do go [down], it will be a disaster for them.” “I believe that some of those players are probably thinking that if they lose, they can move on and join another team.

“It will be a nightmare for them if they don’t return to the Premier League within the first year.”

Tottenham will next host Brighton & Hove Albion after failing to win any league games in 2026. Rooney maintains that the drought must stop.

He declared, “They give themselves a chance if they can do that.” “They find it difficult the longer they don’t win.”