%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel believes Arsenal are the only team that are set apart from the rest of the competition in the Premier League this season.
There are many great teams in the league, but so many of them are going through difficult times, like Manchester City, even Mikel's Chelsea, as well as Liverpool and Manchester United.
Having great teams doesn't mean they're always going to be able to compete for success, and that is what Mikel believes as well.
He said: “Wow, the team to beat? There are so many teams. The good thing that you can say about this season is it is absolutely wide open, absolutely wide open, apart from Arsenal.
“Apart from Arsenal… you can say with Arsenal that this is the team right now. They’re settled, they have a manager who has been there for so many years, he’s built a team and a squad that has gone on to win the Premier League.”
There is no one in the Premier League that could give Arsenal a run for their money
Arsenal are the clear favourites to win the Premier League again. That is not up for debate, according to Mikel, even though there are other good teams that will still be fighting for European places and will make that battle very interesting.
Chelsea fans won't like it, and other top-six fans won't like it either, but Mikel does have a good point: there is not one single team that can genuinely challenge the Gunners for the league.
There will be a very close race for the Champions League places this season, but unless there are some massive improvements from clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United, it is really tough to imagine anyone giving Arsenal a truly difficult run for their money.
That is not to say Arsenal will not have challenges throughout the campaign. Premier League titles are won and lost on the challenges a club faces over the course of a season.
But Arsenal's squad is, at the moment, better than everyone else's, and after finally winning the league last season, they have the winning mentality and the winner's pedigree that they have wanted for the longest time.
They've already made improvements with Bruno GuimarĂŁes and Christos Tzolis in positions that needed reinforcement.
It just goes to show that Arsenal are not only ready to defend the league title next season, they are also the only team that might be good enough to be in that conversation.
Add us as a preferred source on Google