Michael Owen makes surprise Arsenal claim after Man City’s win over Liverpool

Michael Owen believes Arsenal have a lower ceiling than Manchester City and Liverpool despite backing the Gunners to win the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s side boast a four-point lead at the top of the table going into the November international break.

Arsenal, bidding to win their first league title since 2004, won ten games in a row before Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.

Man City took full advantage of Arsenal’s minor blip at the Stadium of Light, thumping defending champions Liverpool 3-0 to climb to second and cut the Gunners’ lead.

City have blown hot and cold over the past 12 months but now look best-placed to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League trophy.

Owen expects Arsenal to hold off a potential charge from Manchester City to win the title despite claiming they have a lower ceiling than both the Sky Blues and Liverpool.

‘Arsenal’s strength is their defence,’ Owen said on Premier League Productions. ‘They’ve got a great goalkeeper and a really good back-four which is protected really well.

‘They play to their strengths and don’t concede many goals so for a newly-promoted team [Sunderland] to score two against them is a brilliant achievement.’

Asked if the Premier League title was ‘Arsenal’s to lose’, Owen added: ‘Possibly… they are a fair few points ahead.

‘You ask anybody and they’ll probably say Arsenal are the favourites at the minute so it’s going to take a good effort to beat them.

‘I can’t see them dropping too many points because they’re very efficient. Leading the race brings it’s own pressure but the way they play, they’re so efficient.

‘If Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool all play at their very, very best, I think Arsenal are still probably the third-best team.

‘When everyone is at their absolute best, Liverpool can blow anyone off the pitch and so can Man City.

‘With Arsenal it’s about not making many mistakes, I can see them grinding away, maybe having a few draws. Their style of play might just make them plug on all the way and make them hard to beat.

‘When Liverpool or Man City win, they play really well and can win by four of five goals. But if Liverpool play poorly they get beat.

‘With Arsenal you get the sense they can still play badly and grind out a win or a draw. That might just play in their favour this season but there’s a long, long way to go.’

Ex-Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher rates Arsenal as the ‘best team he’s seen this season’ but believes Arteta and his team will be ‘nervous’ about the threat of Man City.

‘I think Arsenal will be nervous because it’s Man City,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘They’ve done this before.

‘Twice in the last three years Man City have caught Arsenal. [Arsenal] are probably getting a few flashbacks of when they lost the title in previous years. It might be a long two weeks.

‘I still think Arsenal are the best team I’ve seen this season. But there’s an awfully long way to go.

‘Given how long it’s been since they won the title, there’s no doubt that everyone at Arsenal will get a bit twitchy if they’re top come the second half of the season.’

Premier League leaders Arsenal return to action after the international break with a north London derby against Tottenham.

Manchester City will look to keep the pressure on the Gunners when they face Newcastle United, while Liverpool can get back to winning ways against Nottingham Forest.

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