Jeff Stelling names ‘clear favourites’ to win Premier League after Arsenal title triumph

Sky Sports legend Jeff Stelling says Arsenal are the ‘clear favourites’ to clinch the Premier League title again this season.

Arsenal held their nerve to win the coveted trophy and bring their 22-year title drought to an end last term, ending the season seven points better off than their nearest rivals Manchester City after three successive runners-up finishes.

The Gunners had hoped to cap off what had already been a magnificent campaign by finishing as kings of Europe, with a historic double and a first-ever Champions League crown within their grasp.

The holders Paris Saint-Germain triumphed over Mikel Arteta’s men in this year’s final, though, recovering from Kai Havertz’s early strike to prevail on penalties at Budapest’s Puskas Arena.

Arsenal’s hierarchy have set out their stall at the start of the transfer window, bringing in both Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis, while signing Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis from Bayer Leverkusen.

But the true extent of Arsenal’s ambitions in the summer market have not yet been met, with the club reportedly pursuing big-money deals for Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and superstar Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior.

For talkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend, Arsenal are ‘definitely the team to catch’ as they prepare to defend their Premier League title, especially if Arteta is able to add one or two ‘primetime’ signings to his squad.

‘There’s no reason why Arsenal can’t do what they did again. There’s no reason why, it’s not going to be easy,’ the former Chelsea, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland midfielder said.

‘Everybody else is looking to spend big and looking to improve, but I think they are the team to catch, the team to beat.

‘If they were to add one or two, even one, one absolutely primetime signing then I still think they’re going to take some carching.

‘I know they’ve still got problems: William Saliba is going to be out for a bit with his injury, Declan Rice, but everybody has those problems at some point. I still think they’ll be the team to catch, definitely.’

Former Soccer Saturday presenter Stelling, now hosting talkSPORT’s breakfast show, echoed Townsend’s comments, picking out the Gunners as his frontrunners.

Stelling believes Guimaraes would be a ‘terrific’ addition at the Emirates and feels there remain major ‘question marks’ surrounding the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United entering the new season.

‘Bruno Guimaraes would be a certainty to start and I think he’d be a terrific signing for them,’ Stelling said.

‘It’s foolhardy to say, “We’re going to win everything!”, at this stage of the season, it’s foolhardy in March to say you’re going to win everything this season.

‘But this quote from Kai Havertz where he’s saying everyone else is getting stronger… where are you seeing that, Kai? Because for me, the challengers are not getting stronger.

‘Manchester City with a new manager [Enzo Maresca], big question marks. Liverpool, big question marks over them, even though I love Andoni Iraola. Manchester United have not spent, have they? That may change but they’ve not spent.

‘So at the moment, Arsenal, for me, are the clear, clear favourites in terms of the Premier League but it’s a question of what they can do in Europe as well.’

Arsenal kicked off their busy pre-season schedule with an emphatic 3-0 win over MK Dons and are currently preparing to face off against Real Betis in Dublin.

Arteta’s men then return home to the Emirates for a double-header against Borussia Dortmund and Como, the club’s final two matches in preparation before their Community Shield showdown with Manchester City on August 16.

The north London giants begin their Premier League defence five days later at home to newly promoted Coventry City.

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