Richard Keys has insisted Newcastle United can challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title. After yesterday's 3-0 win at Leicester City, the Magpies are sat in second place and seven points adrift of the Gunners.
Reigning champions City remain the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the crown due to the abundance of talent throughout their squad. Newcastle, despite their new-found wealth, are well ahead of schedule and were not expected to be competing for a top-four place.
Even the most optimistic Toon fan would have laughed off suggestions of a Champions League finish in August. However, just one defeat - a controversial loss to Liverpool - all season has supporters believing in the impossible.
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Former Sky Sports presenter Keys has emerged as an unlikely advocate for a Newcastle title charge. The 65-year-old was a vocal proponent of the Saudi-backed takeover while the deal endured an 18-month deadlock.
Recent comments also enraged Newcastle supporters, with Keys suggesting the club should relocate their training ground to London to attract new players. Despite this, the beIN Sports host tipped the Magpies to “sustain” a title charge ahead of Arsenal.
“Here’s a statement I made on Twitter today and I'm going to repeat it now: I think Newcastle are most likely (to challenge City). They can sustain a challenge from this point.
“City should win everything with the resources they've got. They should win this (Premier League), the Champions League, the one that Pep Guardiola has now admitted is the holy grail.
"For me, yes (whether Newcastle are title contenders). One defeat in 15. They look really strong, they’ve bought good players and I think they'll go again in January. (They are) 20 points better off at this same stage than they were last year, which is extraordinary.”
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