Joe Cole believes that there is only thing which could prevent Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal from ‘running away’ with the Premier League this season.
Five straight league wins, as well as eight in their first ten, have seen Arsenal open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
Only Manchester City have scored more goals than the Gunners in the league so far this season, but their superb form has largely been predicated on their remarkable defence, which has kept eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.
Arteta’s side face a potentially awkward visit to The Stadium of Light to face Sunderland on Saturday but could temporarily move nine points clear at the top of the table.
And that would pile the pressure on both City and Liverpool, who meet on Sunday in a mouthwatering clash between second and third in the league.
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Regardless of the weekend’s action, Arsenal will head into the international break top of the tree, and Cole thinks it would take something remarkable for the Gunners to let their lead slip this time around.
‘I believe Arsenal will run away with the league,’ the former England and Chelsea winger told Paddy Power.
‘Liverpool will come back into the race, and I think Manchester City will come too, but I don’t think I’ve seen a team as strong defensively since probably our Chelsea team in the mid-noughties.
‘I can really only be envious looking at Arsenal. It’s in their hands now, they’re ten furlongs ahead!’
Another impressive summer of recruitment, which saw the north London side spend over £250million on eight new players, has left Arsenal with an deeper squad jam-packed full of talent.
And despite key players such as Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke currently on the sidelines, Arsenal still have enough depth to compete on several fronts.
In defence, the arrival of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie have added even more depth, but, despite that, Cole thinks a serious injury to either William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhaes is one of few things that could threaten to derail Arsenal’s title charge this season.
‘I can’t see any chinks in their armour, the only possible thing that could stop them would be Saliba and, or, Gabriel being injured for a significant period of the season,’ he added.
‘But then you’ve still got Timber and Calafiori as well. They’re too strong.’
Arteta, meanwhile, has sought to reject the notion that the title is already Arsenal’s to lose after the dominant start to the campaign.
‘No, I don’t agree, sorry, because any team has the capacity and I’m sure the belief as well that they can do it,’ the Spaniard said on Friday.
‘We are fully aware of that. We know our strength, we know the things that we have to improve as well and we just focus on that.’
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