Mikel Arteta plays down Arsenal’s title battle with Man City and Liverpool – and insists it is ‘super early’ to focus on silverware

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is focusing on his own team and has insisted that it is too early to think about possible title rivals in the Premier League.

The Gunners, after finishing second behind Manchester City in each of the past two seasons, are bidding to be crowned English champions for the first time since 2004.

Arteta and his players have made it no secret that this season’s aim is to win the title, but he has played down talk of a possible three-way battle between Arsenal, City and Liverpool.

‘No, it’s super early’, he said on Friday, after being asked whether there could be a three-horse race this season.

‘For me, we just started it. But you can feel already the tension, the importance of every match. But we are just in early October.’

Arsenal and City – who drew 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium last month – are both unbeaten so far this season and have each taken 14 points from their opening six league fixtures.

But it is Liverpool who currently top the table, having won five and lost one of their first six.

Arsenal will host Southampton on Saturday in a game that will see Arteta’s men go up against Aaron Ramsdale for the first time since he left the club in a deal worth £25million in August.

Ramsdale played 89 times for Arsenal between 2021 and earlier this year when he decided to leave the Emirates Stadium after losing his status as No 1 goalkeeper to David Raya.

Arteta revealed at Friday’s press conference what was the first thing he did after finding out that Ramsdale had officially left the club.

‘I called him straight away after I got the news [of his move to Southampton],’ Arteta said. ‘He was really happy.

‘He is a player we love a lot. Very charismatic. He really put his fingerprints here in the way he was. And it will be very nice to see him.’