Arsenal title verdict as Alan Shearer's feelings clear on Chelsea shout from Gary Lineker

Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after thrashing Tottenham 4-1 in the North London Derby, with Mikel Arteta's side in sensational form

Alan Shearer insists that Manchester City remain Arsenal's primary challengers for the Premier League title - despite Gary Lineker suggesting second-placed Chelsea should be considered genuine contenders.

Mikel Arteta's side extended their advantage at the summit to six points following a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby on Sunday. The Gunners dominated proceedings at the Emirates Stadium, with Leandro Trossard breaking the deadlock before Eberechi Eze netted a memorable hat-trick.

Arsenal capitalised on Manchester City's defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday, establishing a seven-point cushion over Pep Guardiola's side and a six-point advantage over Chelsea, who climbed to second place after securing a 2-0 triumph against Burnley. Meanwhile, Liverpool, the defending champions, dropped to 11th position following a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

During a discussion on the Rest Is Football podcast about Arsenal's main title rivals, Lineker highlighted Chelsea's emergence as potential contenders, having secured five victories in their last six Premier League fixtures.

However, Shearer dismissed this notion, identifying City as the side that will present the greatest challenge to Arsenal's title aspirations this campaign.

Shearer said: "I'd still say City because we've seen City after Christmas do it, they are used to it, they can do it and we know that. It's different because defensively they are not as good as they have been, but because they have been there and know what to expect, I would still say it would be Man City."

Former City right-back Richard concurred with Shearer, stating: "I would say Man City as well but Chelsea can beat anyone on their day. I think they can put in some really good performances, as we saw at the Club World Cup. But I don't think they have a enough at the moment to go all the way, but they are improving."

Arsenal have been in scintillating form since their defeat to Liverpool in August. In fact, they've secured 13 victories and two draws from their last 15 matches across all competitions.

Seven of these wins have come in the Premier League - a streak that has propelled them into a comfortable position at the summit of the table.

Reflecting on his team's position at the top of the Premier League, Arteta commented post-Tottenham: "We are doing really well, we've been really consistent, and that's it. I mean, when you look at the results, whether they win or lose, the difference in the scoreline and actually what happens in games is really small. We know that.

"We need players back immediately today. We've got Noni back on the pitch, which is great, but we're still missing a lot, a lot of important players, and we're going to need all of them. The good news is we lost big Gabi, which is a massive blow, and Piero [Hincapie] comes in, and I think he was fantastic from the beginning."