Arsenal picked up a 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday and manager Thomas Frank believes the Gunners are serious title contenders this time around.
Thanks to this win, Arsenal will hold onto the top spot on the Premier League table as we go into the international break and so far, they have dropped points in only a single match( a loss to Man United).
“We lost 3-0, to the number one in the Premier League,” Frank told Sky Sports(h/t Fotmob). “I said before they are a top side.
“I think we performed quite well, not 10 [out of] 10 but if you want to win or get something out of the team flying, you cannot concede the first from a set-piece and then the second one.
“In general, unless it is something unbelievable brilliance from a set-piece, I want us to avoid every set-piece goal. There are a few bits we could have done better for the second.
“They didn’t create that many chances but had quality in moments. We lost the game, I hate losing.
“They are top of the table so you cannot argue with that, they have done brilliantly. Looking at their quality, they must be title contenders.”
Will Arsenal genuinely challenge the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Spurs?
Manchester City and Liverpool are the two automatic favourites to fight it out for the Champions League and in these first few matches, it’s become pretty clear that Antonio Conte’s team will also put up a serious fight.
Like Frank, many others have also predicted that Arsenal could go the distance but we think the Gunners are going to fall flat on their face in the coming months.
The North London side are attacking all fronts but they have one of the smallest squads in top-division football. Mikel Arteta has only 23 players at his disposal and with the World Cup taking place during the middle of the campaign, it could be a serious issue for the manager.
Only a handful of injuries is enough to turn Arsenal’s season on its head and if they are not consistent until the 38th league match, there’s no way they are lifting the trophy.
Managers like Guardiola and Antonio Conte are very apt at man-management and they have a much bigger squad than Arsenal. They can very easily rotate and rest their players and two or three injuries should not be a cause of concern for them.
The fact that Arsenal have made such a great start to their campaign will give them a bit of a cushion but we don’t think, they can operate on fifth gear until the end of May.
Teams like Liverpool and Manchester City are much more practised at handling pressure situations along with a tough schedule so one of them should lift the Premier League trophy once again.
