Arsenal are clear favourites to win the Premier League this season, as their consistency sits in stark contrast to that of their rivals.
The Gunners have looked solid at the back, while doing just enough in attack to give Mikel Arteta some big results early on, with Arsenal’s win over Crystal Palace just the latest triumph.
Their rivals, such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, have all been dropping points as of late, creating quite a gap at the top of the table.
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That allows Arsenal to push on in the coming weeks and to stamp their authority in the Premier League, something Paul Merson believes they are doing as efficiently as possible.
Manchester United v Arsenal FC - Premier League
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Paul Merson claims efficient Arsenal should win the Premier League title
It’s still early days, but it’s advantage Arsenal in the Premier League title race, one that they won’t be looking to give up any time soon.
Having already seen off the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle and Manchester United already this season, the fixture list is looking favourable.
That, plus their level of performance, should allow the side to accelerate in the coming weeks and months.
For Paul Merson, there is a belief Arsenal can do it, as he told Sky Sports: “I don’t see anyone stopping Arsenal.
“They are an efficient machine but with super footballers in that machine. They remind me of the Chelsea team of old under Jose Mourinho.
“As soon as that Chelsea team got in front it was game over. It was the same playing in my Arsenal team. Get a goal and it was back to the halfway line, and you could see in the opposition faces, they knew it was over.”
While there are still 29 games to go, it’s clear from Merson that he believes Arsenal should go on and win the title.
He said: “I’d be flabbergasted if Arsenal didn’t win the league.
“People will say there are 30 games left but we are only a once-in-a-season strike from Dominik Szoboszlai from asking the question: ‘Who beats Arsenal this season?’
“They have the best defensive record in the whole of Europe, so you don’t have to score multiple goals to win football matches.”
While questions continue over the entertainment factor from Arsenal, as well as their reliance on set-pieces, they won’t care one bit.
The defence is looking solid, and while comparisons to Jose Mourinho are there, the squad could look to beat one of his Premier League records.
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Arsenal will be eyeing the best defensive record in the Premier League
While there’s a lot of action to come, Arsenal will be feeling confident about their chances in the Premier League this season.
Comparisons between Mikel Arteta and Jose Mourinho are understandable, not least when looking at the defensive records.
Winning the league will be priority number one, but if they can do it by smashing some records along the way, then it may be even sweeter.
The best defensive record will be in their sights so far, one held by Mourinho’s Chelsea from 2004/05, where his side only conceded 15 goals on the way to the title.
Arsenal have conceded a fifth of that so far, with around one quarter of the season gone.
If they continue at this rate, then they could well bring that record tumbling down.