Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have been discussing the Premier League title race after matchday seven.
The Premier League table is taking shape, and Arsenal will certainly like the view, sitting top of the pile as we enter the October international break.
Mikel Arteta will be eager to draw attention away from the title race so early into the season, but it’s impossible to ignore the talk, having finished as runners-up three years in a row.
Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Ham looked even better after Liverpool lost to Chelsea, giving the Gunners a one-point lead at the summit to take into the break.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer discuss Arsenal’s place in the Premier League title race
After the summer transfer window closed, the majority of pundits predicted Liverpool to win the league.
Arne Slot’s reigning champions spent £449m to bolster their squad, making them the natural favourites to retain the top spot, but Arsenal are looking like the best side at present.
Not only are Liverpool looking weaker than they did last term, but Arsenal are looking stronger, which has prompted many to rethink their title predictions.
The subject was a talking point on The Rest Is Football podcast, as Gary Lineker asked Alan Shearer if Arsenal are now favourites to win the league in May.
“Are they favourites now?” Lineker asked.
“I mean, we all tipped Liverpool at the start of the season, I mean, it’s still very early, but if you had to pick a team to win the league at this moment.”
Micah Richards passed the question on to Shearer, given his expertise, having been involved in a fierce title race with Blackburn Rovers.
“I’m not going to change my mind as yet, Gaz,” Shearer said, standing firm with his opinion that Liverpool are favourites.
“I might do after a dozen games,” he added, “but I’ve been mightily impressed with Arsenal.”
After losing to Liverpool at Anfield, Arsenal’s heads didn’t drop, with Arteta guiding his side to a seven-game unbeaten run ever since the defeat.
Far too early to consider title race
The title race will be spoken about throughout the season, not just when we reach the home straight of the campaign.
Already, Arsenal have seen how quickly things have changed, sitting five points behind on matchday five, only to lead Liverpool by one point by matchday seven.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 16 |
| 2 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 15 |
| 3 |  TottenhamTottenham | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 14 |
| 4 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 5 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| 6 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
If there’s any team that won’t want to be thinking about the twists and turns the title race can take, it’s Arteta’s Arsenal.
In the 2022/23 season, Arsenal broke the record for most days leading the table without winning the league, sitting top for 248 days and ending the campaign empty-handed.
There’s a long way to go, with 31 games still to play, making any talk of the title race incredibly premature.
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