Arsenal and Manchester City have been told the Premier League title race is still very much alive, but Aston Villa are not part of it, according to former defender Joleon Lescott.
Villa currently sit third in the table after an impressive recovery from a slow start, leaving them seven points behind leaders Arsenal with 14 games remaining.
A strong eight-game winning run between November and December pushed Unai Emery’s side into the conversation for some fans and pundits.
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However, Lescott, who represented both Villa and Manchester City during his playing career, remains unconvinced by their credentials.
Speaking on In The Mixer, the ex-England international said he has never believed Villa are genuine title contenders.
He pointed to their lack of proven consistency during the closing stages of a title race as the key issue.
Lescott backs Arsenal and City to pull clear in run-in
“I was never really convinced Villa were genuine contenders for the title,” Lescott admitted during the podcast.
“I don’t know if they are able to win five games in a row down the stretch.”
Lescott added that both Arsenal and Manchester City possess the squad depth and mentality needed to finish strongly.
Villa suffered a setback last time out with a surprise home defeat to Brentford, raising fresh doubts over their momentum.
Interestingly, Emery has echoed similar caution when discussing Villa’s title hopes in recent weeks.
The Spaniard insisted his focus remains on consistency rather than talk of silverware, reports Mirror.
Emery admitted that only if Villa remain close to the summit after 35 games would he reconsider their status.
For now, Arsenal and City remain the benchmarks as the Premier League title battle enters a decisive phase.
