Akin Ayomide
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says second-placed Chelsea “fully deserve” to be considered Premier League title contenders as he prepares his team for Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
Arteta’s men are currently six points clear of the second-placed Blues after 12 games of the season.
They are in buoyant mood after a 4-1 win over arch-rivals Tottenham was followed by a 3-1 defeat of German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Chelsea’s tails are also up following three straight league wins and a thumping 3-0 victory over Barcelona on Tuesday.
Despite their fine form, Enzo Maresca’s youthful Chelsea side are still considered outsiders to win the Premier League title.
But Arteta is not underestimating his opponents, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup last season.
“I think we are all there and they (Chelsea) are there because they fully deserve to be,” he told reporters on Friday.
“What they have done in the last few years, I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have, it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there.”
The former Arsenal and Spain midfielder said Chelsea were one of the teams he most enjoyed watching.
“They have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that’s why they are very tough,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a big game, it’s a big London derby. We’re going to play a really, really good opponent. They are in really good form and we know the challenge, we know the opportunity that we have as well on Sunday, so we are fully ready for it.”