Arsene Wenger believes his former side Arsenal could be shock title contenders this season, claiming the team has "no weak position" at the moment. It comes after an ideal start for the Gunners, who find themselves top of the Premier League table after six games played so far.
While talks of a title challenge rumble on, Mikel Arteta's primary goal will be to make sure his side can finally make their return to the top four. The Spaniard narrowly missed out on doing just that last season, having to settle for fifth and Europa League football once again.
After a summer of heavy investment and a five-match winning run, the side lifted clear at the top - before defeat to Manchester United - with many questioning the possibility of a title challenge. When asked about that, Arteta responded: "No, this is just the start of the season. We are in a long, long marathon."
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The manager will be hoping his side can respond to their recent setback with victory over Brentford on Saturday heading into the international break. A busy October and November schedule before the World Cup will then test their title credentials to the full extent.
Amid such talk, Wenger has backed the side to make an unlikely push for the league this campaign, providing a warning to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City who will hope to be up there too. Discussing the chances in an evening hosted by David Dein for his new book Calling The Shots, he said: "I would say they are moving in the right direction.
"I honestly think there is no weak position in the team... they are young, promising players and they have bought well this year. There is no completely dominating team this season and Arsenal has a chance with the potential that is there.
“We used to be in the top four and why not again? You cannot even rule out the fact that they can fight for the title and hopefully they can do it.”
With a large majority of the season still to come, Arteta and his squad may get stretched to their absolute capacity in the coming weeks. However, if they can make it past those trials, they could put themselves firmly in the title picture.
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