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Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour has warned Mikel Arteta that Manchester City will push them all the way in the Premier League title race this season, with the gap at the top down to four points.
Arsenal and Manchester City appear to be the frontrunners in this season's Premier League title race, as both clubs look to battle it out to lift the trophy next May. Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have been here before, with both managers facing off for the right to be crowned as champions.
So far, it's the Man City boss who has reigned supreme, while a challenging season for his side last time out saw Liverpool capitalise instead of Arsenal. The Gunners responded in the transfer market with plenty of fresh faces, bolstering their quality in depth to better compete over the whole season.
So far, despite facing similar injury problems to last campaign, the north London side have made the quickest start and sit top of the Premier League with a four-point gap. Man City are their nearest challengers, while champions Liverpool could always threaten the top with a run of form.
It's for that reason that there is still some concern over whether Arsenal can get the job done this time around, with plenty of time left in the title race for twists and turns to follow. For ex-player Ray Parlour, there is plenty to be scared about with City and their ability to cause problems.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "I think so [Man City are the big worry]... It's a situation where Liverpool are capable of winning 10 [games] in a row. Man City are capable of winning 10 [games] in a row, so I don't get carried away at the moment.
"All I want for Arsenal is to keep getting the results they're getting, you get carried away, and it gets to March time, and you're in the title race, and you look at the run-ins and you look at every single point matters then. But it's just about ticking over now and keeping in the title race.
"I know we've had a couple of injuries in recent weeks, but Man City are capable of winning plenty of games."
Arsenal's comfort at the top could well be dependent on how the next few games pan out for them and their rivals. The Gunners have two tricky tests awaiting them in the Premier League, with the North London Derby against Tottenham up first, before they take on another London rival in Chelsea.
As for Manchester City, they have Newcastle away first, which isn't an easy trip, even with the Magpies faltering slightly at the start of the season. Then they welcome Leeds United, who have struggled as well so far this campaign.
If things swing against Arsenal, they could easily be behind in the title race in the space of a week, while they are more than capable of pulling clear as well. Arteta was quizzed on Man City chasing down his side in his pre-match press conference, with the narratives already forming around the race at the top.
He said: "Everybody's going to try to win every game, the same as we are going to do. We just have to go game by game, control the things that we can do, prepare very well tomorrow for Sunday. We have a beautiful game ahead of us, and that's what we can control."
It's a long time before the run-in truly begins, but each point gained or dropped will be a key talking point in the title race in the weeks and months ahead.
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