Martin Keown has tipped one side to be dark horses and potentially challenge Arsenal in the Premier League title race this season.
Arsenal’s impressive run of wins came to an end at the weekend as Sunderland salvaged a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
Mikel Arteta’s side are still unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions, but saw their lead at the top of the table cut to four points after Manchester City’s superb win over Liverpool on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side swept to a comprehensive 3-0 win against the defending champions to lay down a marker as Arsenal’s biggest rivals in this season’s title race.
The Gunners face a tricky run of fixtures upon their return from the international break, hosting Tottenham in the north London derby before a visit to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea the following weekend.
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And Keown believes his former side must not get sucked into thinking about the chasing pack behind them, especially with several key attacking players unavailable at present.
‘Arsenal just need to keep winning their games,’ he told talkSPORT. ‘They’ve not done an awful lot wrong – they’re top of the Premier League table and the Champions League table as well.
‘I don’t think you look over your shoulder, you look ahead, and you go and grasp it and you take the opportunities that are there.
‘What you need is a full selection of players to pick from, and they’ve not quite got that at the moment.
‘It was an issue not having Gyokeres available and I hope this doesn’t become a story of the No9. Obviously, Haaland is different class, but Arsenal need theirs back on the pitch quickly.’
City’s victory over Liverpool saw the defending champions slip to eighth place, and eight points behind Arsenal at the top of the table.
Bu Keown was quick to reject the notion that the title was already a two-horse race between City and Arsenal, and pinpointed Chelsea, who sit third and just six points off the top, as a side who could well be in contention come the end of the season.
‘You have to look at Chelsea starting to pick up a little bit,’ he added. ‘They look like they are starting to become a little bit formidable.’
Are Chelsea dark horses to win the Premier League
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Sure, why not?
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No chance!
Chelsea’s 3-0 win over lowly Wolves on Saturday made it four league wins in five for the Blues, but not everybody is convinced that Enzo Maresca’s side have what it takes to challenge Arsenal in the title race.
Asked whether he believes Chelsea can win the title this season, former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop told ESPN: ‘No, no chance. Should I give you a percentage? 0.5%.
‘They won’t win the league. If you offered me 1000/1 for Chelsea to win the league, I still wouldn’t take that bet right now.’
Meanwhile, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel fears that a lack of experience might ultimately cost the Blues as the season wears on.
‘I think we’re not going to win the league this season,’ he said on The Obi One Podcast.
‘I think we just lack a bit more experience in terms of winning the league, but I think top four should be our aim this season, Chelsea.’
Chelsea face a visit to Burnley on their return from the international break, before huge games against Barcelona and Arsenal in Europe and domestically.
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