Jamie Redknapp has identified Brighton as Arsenal's most likely challengers for the Premier League title after Manchester City suffered a third consecutive defeat. The Gunners moved six points clear at the top of the table on Saturday following Enzo Maresca's side losing 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, a result that followed losses to Aston Villa and Brighton.
Brighton's impressive season
The Seagulls have made a strong start to the campaign and are the only team to have beaten Arsenal, winning 3-0 at the Amex. They have also defeated City at the Etihad and have scored more goals than any other side in the league.
Despite Brighton's form under Fabian Hurzeler, Redknapp still expects Arsenal to retain their title comfortably, noting the Gunners have had just one blip and continue to secure wins.
Redknapp's assessment
Speaking to Sky Sports, Redknapp said: "They [Man City] obviously miss Semenyo, he’s a big player for them in the wide areas but they’ve still got people in wide positions who can cause problems. That one today is a sore one, it gives you the feeling right now in terms of who can challenge Arsenal? I just don’t see one."
He added: "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 also highlighted Arsenal's defensive strength, saying: "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]. I don’t really see anything else other than Arsenal running away with this title at the moment."
Upcoming fixtures
City will face Arsenal before November ends, once domestic football resumes after the international break, giving them a chance to close the gap to three points. Mikel Arteta is aiming to become only the second manager in nearly two decades to retain a Premier League title, the other being former City boss Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal face a challenging run with three away games in their next four, travelling to Newcastle, Brentford and Tottenham, with the visit of City to the Emirates in between.
