Murphy warns rivals as Arsenal lead table 'without playing well'
Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League despite not hitting their best form this season, and according to Danny Murphy, that should terrify every other side with title ambitions.
Mikel Arteta's side made it nine wins from their opening 10 league games with a 1-0 victory over Hull City on Saturday, Martin Odegaard scoring the only goal of the game. The result opened up a six point gap over Manchester City, who also face the prospect of a significant points penalty after being found guilty of breaching financial rules.
The Friday Injury Tracker
Who's out, who's back and what it means for the next two games.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Murphy suggested the manner of Arsenal's results so far makes their position even more daunting for the chasing pack. “I think what's worrying for everyone else is they've got this amount of wins, this amount of points, and they haven't really played that well,” Murphy said. “Maybe in the Chelsea game they were outstanding but they've just got over the line other than that.”
The former Liverpool and England midfielder was emphatic that Arsenal have more in the tank. “There's more to come from this team, make no qualms about that. I think they're in a wonderful position and a really great place,” he added.
Redknapp points to Brighton as closest challengers
Jamie Redknapp offered a similar assessment on Sky Sports after Manchester City suffered a third straight defeat, this time at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Redknapp named Brighton as the side most likely to push Arsenal, while still backing Arteta's team to pull away over the course of the season.
“If you look at the league table, I think right now, probably the one you'd point to, and I never thought I'd say this at the start of the year, but it's Brighton,” Redknapp said. “Arsenal have got Saliba coming back, the players they've got defensively, you'd never see Arsenal look as open as we saw Manchester City look [against Forest].”
He continued: “I don't really see anything else other than Arsenal running away with this title at the moment. I know it's really early but I just think they're so much better than everyone else in every single area. It's the worst case scenario for every team, when you see a team like that. Today they grind out a result; I just don't see anybody else.”
Arsenal ended a 22 year wait for the title last season after three consecutive second placed finishes, and were installed as favourites to retain the crown heading into this campaign. The early signs, according to both Murphy and Redknapp, suggest Arteta's side are finding ways to win even when not at their sharpest, a trait that has historically separated genuine champions from challengers over a long Premier League season.
Arsenal will look to maintain their advantage at the top of the table as the fixtures continue to mount before the turn of the year.
