Alan Shearer has named Brighton, not Manchester City, as Arsenal's main challengers for the Premier League title this season. The former title winner's comments come as the defending champions sit five points clear at the top of the table following a 1-0 home win over Hull City on Saturday.
Brighton's Strong Start
Manchester City slipped to third after a third successive league defeat, while Brighton moved second with a 2-0 victory over Brentford. The Seagulls have already beaten both Arsenal and City this season, and no team has scored more goals, with only Arsenal conceding fewer after ten games.
Shearer told Betfair: "Brighton could be Arsenal's main challenge to the title this season. I think Liverpool are in transition. Chelsea, same thing. They still have plenty of work to do with those football clubs."
Shearer's Confidence in Brighton
Shearer praised Brighton's performances, including in European competition, and suggested they will remain contenders. "Brighton have been incredible. The football that they're playing, I mean, in Europe too, whether that will hinder them the longer the season goes on I don't know, but they're managing really well at the minute," he said.
He added: "I don't think they're going to go away. I think they'll be around for the majority of the season."
Brighton's Cautious Approach
Despite the praise, Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross said the team is not getting carried away. "No, we're not, but we've had a really good start to the season," Gross said last weekend when asked if his team could compete with Arsenal between now and May.
He added: "It's the beginning of the season. You see the Premier League and the margins and you look at the results. We're not getting carried away or anything like that, every game we have to suffer and sometimes it's momentum. But we're really pleased to go into the international break like that."
After the international break, Brighton travel to Hull, while Arsenal face Newcastle United at St James' Park.
