According to a report by Daily Post on Wednesday October 28, 2026, former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season but believes Manchester City could change the outcome through their ongoing legal battle with the league.

Cole shared his prediction while speaking on The Dressing Room podcast, suggesting that Arsenal would be his choice if the title race were decided solely by events on the pitch.

However, he warned that Manchester City's legal challenge over alleged financial regulation breaches could have a significant impact on the situation.

“I think Arsenal,” Cole said when asked to predict the Premier League champions.

“If Man City’s lawyers go to work, they win the league. The lawyers are the most important people in this right now. If not, it is Arsenal and everyone else is just catching up.”

Manchester City have been involved in a long-running dispute with the Premier League over alleged financial rule breaches covering the period between 2009 and 2018.

An independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches, according to the report, prompting City to challenge the ruling. The club has argued that the commission’s decision contained “clear material errors of law, principle and fact” and was “unsafe.”

Cole's comments suggest that he believes Arsenal have the opportunity to claim the Premier League crown, although he sees City's legal proceedings as a potentially decisive factor.