Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has conceded that Liverpool, following their recent acquisition of Alexander Isak, are now the frontrunners in the Premier League title race. This admission comes despite Arsenal's impressive performance over the last three seasons, where they have consistently finished as top-flight runners-up.
The Gunners have been on a commendable run for the past three seasons, finishing second in each campaign. They narrowly missed out on clinching the trophy to Arne Slot’s side in 2024-25. Their consistent performance has led some football pundits to predict a potential championship win for Arsenal this season.
Prominent among these pundits is Gary Neville who believes that this could be Arsenal’s year to reclaim their first English championship since 2004.
Liverpool’s game-changing acquisition
However, Liverpool threw a curveball into these predictions by signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in a record-breaking £125m deal on deadline day. This move has significantly bolstered their attacking options and potentially shifted the balance of power in their favour.
Arteta was asked during a press conference how he felt about this development and its impact on the title race for 2025-26 campaign. The Spanish manager candidly admitted that with Isak now part of their squad, Liverpool are arguably the ‘strongest’ team contending for this season’s Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, said:
‘Well, they are the strongest for sure. They have recruited probably the most, the two most decisive players that there were in Europe in the market. And they’ve done really well to recruit that. They are very strong. But we need to look at ourselves and what we need to do in terms of our abilities to be better than them. That’s it.’
Tough race
Despite having had a slow start to this season, Manchester City cannot be ruled out from being serious contenders for the Premier League title as well. Pep Guardiola has dismissed Slot’s claim that newly signed Isak is currently world football's best striker - an indication that he still sees his team as strong competitors despite not making any headline-grabbing signings themselves.
The Premier League title race is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Liverpool's acquisition of Isak potentially being a game-changer. However, Arsenal's consistent performance and Manchester City's resilience ensure that the competition remains wide open. As sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts eagerly watch this unfold, it will be interesting to see how these developments impact the final outcome of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
