I am going to lay my cards on the table. I firmly believe Arsenal are going to win the Premier League. I am not a particularly a fan of the Gunners but that's not the point - I think they are a better bet than the other big three.

A friend who was away loaned me his season ticket for the Fulham game and as a neutral who had backed Arsene Wenger's men to do well this season, I came away from that game, and subsequent other televised games (including yesterday's demolition of Portsmouth) with the view that Arsenal will indeed win the title.

Of course, one defeat to Aston Villa does not discount Chelsea, but taking into account the difficulty they have had in overcoming the likes of Birmingham and Portsmouth at home (the same Portsmouth that Arsenal walloped on Sunday), and their scratchy form, I am happy to stick my neck out and discount Jose Mourinho's side. That leaves Liverpool and Manchester United.

'After a handful of games, as a neutral with little concern for who actually does win the title, I still stick with my pre-season prediction'


One thing that is rarely mentioned when talking about the Premier League is the physical presence required to win the title. Yes, pretty football in triangles is all well and good but when you visit places like Bramall Lane in December (as Arsenal did last year), triangles are no bloody good at all when you have the remnants of the pit-village team charging at you on a pitch that would do justice to a mud-wrestling tournament.

Wenger can complain all he wants at this kind of barbarism, when he is trying to play football at its very best, but that's the theatre of football in England with the likes of Birmingham, Wigan and Derby.

Wenger knows the market he is trading in and this season, Arsenal are much more in tune with the necessity to play effective football. The first thing that strikes me about their current style is how, more than any of the other Big Four members, the Gunners play to a system which is not dependant on players rather than the system istelf.

Obviously you have to be a half-decent player to turn out for the Arsenal, but with a squad full of talent, it does not really matter who is playing, as long as they know their role in the system. The idea is as simple as the game of football itself. The wide midfielders and defenders support the strikers in a way that reminds me of the old wingers who thrilled so much in getting to the bye-line to pull the ball back. It really doesn't seem to me that Thierry Henry is going to be missed.

We all know that Tomas Rosicky, Aleksandr Hleb, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor can create and play the really beautiful game but it's their ability to slot into Wenger's system while keeping their individuality that is particularly appealing. And it does not matter who plays right and left in the back four - Gale Clichy, Justin Hoyte or Bacary Sagna simply slot into the system.

Last season Manchester United depended too much on Cristiano Ronaldo. It surely does not bode well this season for United that the likes of Manchester City and Sunderland did not look particularly threatened by the champions. The relief on Sir Alex Ferguson's face when Louis Saha saved the day on Saturday evening said it all.

Liverpool have indeed started well but I do not think they have developed enough of an understanding between the players to mount a sustained title challenge. Winning 6-0 against Derby does not tell us as much as Manchester United winning 1-0 against Sunderland.

Yes, Arsenal didn't exactly overwhelm Fulham and Manchester City at home but, despite the close scorelines, they did create a number of chances. The head-to-head encounters between Liverpool, Arsenal and United could prove crucial to the final outcome of the season and we have to wait and see how Liverpool fare on the road in these games. Yes, they were unlucky with the penalty decision in the Chelsea game but you are always going to get those kinds of decisions. It's how you deal with the rest of the game that counts.

If Arsenal do have a weakness it is still in the middle of defence and in the goalkeeping department. But after a handful of games, as a neutral with little concern for who actually does win the title, I still stick with my pre-season prediction. And if the Gunners do win the league, it will surely go down as Wenger's finest achievement to date.

Is Mark on the mark with his belief that Arsenal will win the title? Post your comments below or contribute an article of your own to Sportingo.