Richard Keys names Arsenal's 'biggest title contenders' as Andy Gray dismisses huge club

Manchester United are Arsenal’s ‘biggest contenders’ for the Premier League title, says Richard Keys (Picture: Keys & Gray Unleashed)

Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has picked out Manchester United as Arsenal’s ‘biggest contenders’ in the Premier League this coming season.

Arsenal sent out a statement of intent to the rest of the division as they strolled to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Manchester City to get their hands on the Community Shield on Sunday.

Riccardo Calafiori ensured Enzo Maresca’s City reign off to a nightmare start with Arsenal’s opener inside 23 seconds, before Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard struck either side of half-time to put the Gunners out of sight in Cardiff.

After bringing their 22-year title drought to an end last term, Mikel Arteta’s men begin their defence at home to newly promoted Coventry City on Friday night.

The English champions will no doubt be brimming with confidence fresh from claiming the first piece of silverware on offer at the weekend, while landing an early blow on Maresca in the process.

But difficult matches await Arsenal against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland following their clash with Coventry and Arteta will be aware of the huge challenge that lies ahead in backing up last year’s success.

Previewing the season on the new Keys & Gray Unleashed YouTube channel, ex-Aston Villa and Everton striker Gray named Arsenal as a ‘good shout’ for the title and played down City’s chances of lifting the trophy in Maresca’s debut year at the helm.

Arsenal hammered City to claim their 18th Community Shield at the weekend (Picture: Getty)

Odegaard and Co open their top-flight campaign against Coventry (Picture: Getty)

‘I don’t fancy Manchester City, there you go. I don’t fancy Manchester City with Enzo Maresca,’ Gray said.

‘Arsenal is a good shout. Liverpool, no.

‘Manchester United are a toss of the coin for me. I’m glad they’ve kept Michael Carrick, but I don’t know who would be Arsenal’s biggest contenders.’

Gray ‘doesn’t fancy’ Manchester City under Maresca (Picture: Keys & Gray Unleashed)

Outside of Arsenal, Gray struggled to pin down any obvious title challengers – but suggested Xabi Alonso could ‘surprise everybody’ at Chelsea over the coming months.

‘There are so many teams that we just don’t know what we’re going to get from them and Chelsea are one of the biggest ones for me,’ he added.

‘Whatever you think of them, they’ve got a collection of incredibly talented footballs, I don’t think you can deny that.

‘They’ve added Morgan Rogers to the group, a fantastic footballer, and they’ve got an incredible bunch of footballers there.

Carrick steered Manchester United to Champions League qualification last season (Picture: Getty)

‘If Xabi Alonso can bring them together, and that’s an if, but if can bring them together then they might just surprise everybody.’

Villa enjoyed another exceptional campaign last term, finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning their first major trophy in 30 years by clinching the Europa League title.

But Gray has concerns about his former club will fare following the departure of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers to Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.

‘I’d love to think that Aston Villa could improve again,’ he continued.

‘But when you lose Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, okay they’ve bought a couple in… is it going to make them any better? I think no on the surface of it.’

Keys, who left his role at beIN SPORTS alongside Gray at the end of last season, has been mightily impressed with the work Michael Carrick has done since taking over the reins from Ruben Amorim.

When weighing up the ‘biggest contenders’ to Arsenal, he said: ‘I think United because they’ve had half a season or more, they’ve settled.

‘I’m not an enormous admirer of Marcus Rashford but I think he’s a player and getting him back is a bonus.’

Keys hopes Alonso is able to oversee a transformation at Chelsea but fears the Spaniard’s Stamford Bridge reign could unravel if off-the-pitch problems aren’t nipped in the bud.

‘It’s a viper’s nest, that dressing room,’ he explained.