Roy Keane says 'league is over' after Chelsea loss against Leeds United as Manchester United hero delivers Arsenal verdict

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has said the title race is ‘over’ after Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Leeds United, which saw them sit nine points behind leaders Arsenal.

Sunday’s London derby at Stamford Bridge that saw 10-man Chelsea hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw ignited a new debate about the 2025-26 Premier League title, with many identifying the Blues as contenders for the trophy.

The Gunners returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Brentford on Wednesday. In the process, they restored their five-point lead at the top of the table and put more daylight between themselves and their London rivals after Enzo Maresca’s side fell flat at Elland Road.

During a segment on The Overlap, Keane’s former United teammate Gary Neville told Arsenal legend Ian Wright that the Gunners have to win the league this season.

“Your lot have got to win it. You’ve got to win the league this season,” Neville said.

Keane then claimed:

“The league is over. It’s over. The league is over.”

Several football pundits have backed Arsenal to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title given their current form. The north London club have lost only one match in the league this season and have conceded the fewest goals (7).

“I don’t think they’ve got a chance” – Gary Neville makes Arsenal and Chelsea title claim after Wednesday night results

Gary Neville believes Arsenal have already eliminated one potential title rival, asserting that Chelsea do not stand a chance of winning the Premier League this season. The Blues have displayed an alarming level of inconsistency this season, dropping points against minnows.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the game at Elland Road, Neville identified center-forwards, center-backs, and goalkeeping as positions where the Blues ‘are not good enough’ to win the league. He said:

“I don’t think they can win the title. In fact, I don’t think they’ve got a chance. Chelsea do have some gaping holes when you see title-winning teams. They will be in the top four or five, no problem, but when you talk about winning the league, they are short in goal, short at centre back and short up top. Their centre forwards, centre backs and goalkeepers aren’t good enough to be title winners.

“Chelsea’s team is well built, it’s got an incredible amount of talent, but the centre-backs tonight were poor in every way. The goalkeeper [Robert Sanchez] is not good enough to be a title-winning goalkeeper, and then at centre-forward, they [Delap, Guiu] are good players, but they’re not at the levels that are required to win Chelsea a title.”

While the Gunners strengthened their grip on the league title, the Blues have fallen to fourth in the standings.