Arsenal are the odds-on favourites to win the Premier League after another positive weekend for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta’s side sealed a comfortable 2-0 win over London rivals West Ham before watching Liverpool lose their third game in a row at Chelsea.
West Ham have proven to be tricky customers for Arsenal in recent years but there was no sign of an upset on Saturday as ex-Hammers star Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka scored in a routine win.
The victory saw Arsenal climb above Liverpool at the top of the Premier League and Arne Slot’s side were unable to reclaim the position at Stamford Bridge.
Cody Gakpo’s second-half goal cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s first-half stunner and looked set to earn Liverpool a point which would have seen them join Arsenal on 16 points after seven games.
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But Estevao Willian scored an injury-time winner to seal a huge victory for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea and condemn Liverpool to a third successive defeat.
The results in the final weekend before the international break have left Arsenal as the odds-on favourites with the bookmakers to win their first Premier League trophy since 2004.
Arsenal have come agonisingly close to winning the title under Arteta and this season could represent their best chance in over a decade given Liverpool’s inconsistency and the absence of other threats.
Analysing Arsenal’s victory over West Ham, Rooney paid tribute to ‘incredible player’ Saka, who became the seventh youngest player in history to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements.
Saka was out of action for almost a month earlier in the season but has looked lively since his return, also scoring in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Olympiakos in midweek.
‘Bukayo Saka is such an important player for Arsenal and for England,’ Premier League legend Rooney said on BBC’s Match of the Day.
‘Over the last three or fours years he’s probably been Arsenal’s most important player.
‘He’s had a few injured which have affected his numbers which would be even better if that wasn’t the case. But he’s such an incredible player.’
Premier League title odds
Arsenal 10/11
Liverpool 5/2
Manchester City 9/2
Chelsea 25/1
(Odds courtesy of Betfair)
After Arsenal beat West Ham at the Emirates Stadium, Gunners boss Arteta said: ‘I’m very happy. We knew it would be a tough match.
‘Three games in seven days and two very intense games before this. Very happy. When we played Newcastle we said we had to learn from the past and the scars we had in that stadium.
‘Today as well we lost the previous two at the Emirates (against West Ham) but we won today and fully deserved it.’
On Saka scoring on his 200th appearance for Arsenal, Arteta added: ‘It’s exceptional what he’s doing at his age.
‘The impact he has on those matches, it’s very difficult to do and I’m very happy for him. He’s super consistent and willing to learn constantly.
‘He finds ways to find goals. He will grow and become more mature. Hopefully he’ll keep impacting the team.’
Arsenal return to Premier League action after the international break with a trip to London rivals Fulham.
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