Chelsea legend admits it 'hurts' to call Arsenal title favourites

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John Terry has named Arsenal as the "clear favourites" to win the Premier League this season — and the Chelsea legend made no secret of how little he enjoyed saying it.

Speaking to former Gunner Theo Walcott on the ex-winger's TikTok page, the five-time Premier League winner was asked who would finish higher between Arsenal and Chelsea. His answer was blunt.

"Unfortunately, it's going to be Arsenal," Terry said. "We [Chelsea] had a good start and we gave you guys [Arsenal] a good game actually. Since that game we've been hit and miss to be honest and I think that's going to be our season."

Terry: Arsenal have 'everything'

The former England captain went further, suggesting the reigning champions are built for a sustained spell at the top of English football.

"I just think you guys have got everything at the minute," Terry added. "I think Chelsea have always had a team that is really solid from the back, players in the team that are capable of scoring, and Arsenal look everything of that.

"They're very solid and also, what I love about them at the minute, really aggressive, players that are up for the fight. Once you win that battle you can then dominate the ball and Arsenal have always been capable of doing that. So unfortunately, it hurts me to say, Arsenal are clear favourites."

Terry also reiterated a point he has made previously — that Arteta's side now have "an opportunity to go and dominate the Premier League" on the back of last season's title success. As for his own former club, he is "still hopeful of top four" but believes Chelsea are "a couple of years away from competing for the Premier League".

The picture at the top

The assessment comes with Arsenal three points adrift of the summit. The Gunners opened their title defence with four straight wins and conceded just a single goal in the process, before being comprehensively beaten by Brighton at the Amex Stadium in their final fixture prior to the international break.

That result left Manchester City as the only side in the division with a 100 per cent record, though Pep Guardiola's team have been found guilty of breaching financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 — a verdict that has dominated the conversation across the break.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have taken just seven points from a possible 15 under new boss Xabi Alonso, a run that clearly informed Terry's verdict on the season ahead.

Arsenal return to action at home to Leeds in just over a week, while City travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on the same weekend. Details of Terry's comments were reported by Metro.

Favourites tag or not, the next two fixtures will go some way to shaping whether that three-point gap grows or disappears entirely.