Joleon Lescott won two Premier League titles at Man City (Picture: Getty) Joleon Lescott revealed his Premier League title prediction after Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City. The Gunners lifted their first Premier League trophy since 2004 back in May, finishing seven points above Man City after a tense title race. Mikel Arteta’s side sent a clear message to their title rivals in Sunday’s Community Shield, thumping Manchester City 3-0 in Enzo Maresca’s first competitive game in charge. Man City remain second-favourites to win the Premier League with the bookmakers ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, who are all hoping for significant improvements this season. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. Liverpool won the Premier League two years ago but title-winning boss Arne Slot lost his job at the end of last season after a disappointing fifth-place finish. There is far greater expectation on Man United after Michael Carrick guided the Red Devils to a third-place finish after replacing Ruben Amorim midway through the campaign. Chelsea, meanwhile, finished just 10th last term but are widely expected to improve under former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso. Arsenal lift the Community Shield after beating Man City (Picture: Getty) Lescott says it is ‘difficult’ to win back-to-back Premier League titles but cannot currently see past defending champions Arsenal, insisting Sunday’s win over Man City would have been ‘daunting’ for other teams. ‘It is very early [to make predictions], but you would say Arsenal,’ Lescott, who won the Premier League twice with Manchester City, told Mirror Football. ‘Considering the key factors, they probably have fewer obstacles ahead of them. [Mikel] Arteta has continuity with the players and the squad now has genuine belief, so I would say Arsenal. Mikel Arteta is hoping to retain the Premier League trophy (Picture: Getty) ‘I know how difficult it is to win back-to-back titles, but that is my overriding opinion.’ Speaking on TNT Sports after the Community Shield, Lescott said: ‘Arsenal are close to where they want to be and I wasn’t surprised by that performance. ‘That’s the worrying thing, they’re at this level so early on. It’s going to be a daunting time for everyone. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta says Community Shield statement win proves Arsenal are 'ready for it'","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/08\/17\/7779755569864816200\/480x270_MP4_7779755569864816200.mp4","description":"Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's desire \"to go straight again\" after Manchester City were overwhelmed 3-0 by the Premier League champions in the Community Shield.","duration":"T8M14S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/08\/17\/07\/110678029-0-image-a-8_1786947795231.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-08-17T07:22:17+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘Concerned is the right word [for City]. It’s the whole performance really, and the gap. The worrying thing is the gap. ‘I doubt [Maresca] will be embarrassed, more disappointed. Embarrassment is probably too strong. ‘You don’t want to lose
