“I don’t have a clue” – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta responds to question on Premier League title race
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered his take on the Premier League title race ahead of his team's visit to Chelsea on Saturday (October 21).
The Gunners have made a good start to their league campaign and are one of only two unbeaten teams in the top flight this season. Having won six of their eight games and drawn two, Arteta's side are only behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur on goals scored.
Arsenal are coming off a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over champions Manchester City in their last league outing two weeks ago. The defeat dropped City to third in the standings, two points behind the leading pair of Spurs and Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool (17) are fourth.
Ahead of the Gunners' visit to Stamford Bridge, Arteta said in his press conference (as per football.london) that he's clueless about how the title race would unfold:
"I don’t have a clue who is going to be involved. We want to be there. The league is so demanding."
Last season, the Gunners led the Premier League for a record 248 days before finishing five points behind Manchester City. Arteta's side last won the league in 2003-04.
"You can see that they're going to be a threat" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Chelsea
Arsenal have had a far better league campaign than their upcoming opponents, Chelsea. The Blues have won only thrice in eight games and are a lowly 11th in the standings with 11 points.
However, Mauricio Pochettino's new-look side have shown signs of a mini-revival, winning their last three games across competitions — including two in the league. Considering the same, Arteta knows that considering the history of the Blues manager and the club's pedigree, they cannot be taken lightly.
The Spaniard said in the aforementioned press conference that the Blues' revival after a slow start was always likely:
"I think when you look first of all at the manager and coaching staff, and then the history and players it’s going to happen very quickly. You can see that they’re going to be a threat."
Arteta's side will look to draw confidence from their recent record at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners are unbeaten in four league visits at the Blues, winning the last three, since losing 4-1 in May 2019.