Shock London rivals tipped as Premier League dark horses to threaten Arsenal's title defence in bold prediction

Arsenal head into the new campaign as the team to beat after Arteta finally delivered the Premier League trophy to north London. The Gunners have been aggressive in the transfer market to ensure they stay ahead of the pack, securing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and Illan Meslier from Leeds United. They are also reportedly set to land Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes in a £75m deal.

Speaking to talkSPORT, former Scottish international Ally McCoist admitted that the defending champions are currently the benchmark for the rest of the league. "Arsenal, I think at this moment in time would be my favourites, just, at the start of the tournament," he said. "I think there’s improvement in Liverpool, improvement in Manchester United. United obviously have European football to think about as well, but I think it’ll be interesting to see."

The former Scotland striker noted that while Manchester City remain a threat, the absence of Pep Guardiola creates uncertainty. "Manchester City, we don’t know with no Pep, but I thought Rodri was massive, outstanding at the World Cup," he added. "I thought that was him back to his best. I thought he was immense. So he’s vital, absolutely vital.

"We’ve known how difficult it is to defend the league title, but I just think Arsenal, there’s no way they’re certainties, but I would probably have them just starting as favourites."

While the spotlight remains on the Emirates, McCoist believes Xabi Alonso could be the man to orchestrate a shock at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have spent heavily to support the Spaniard, including a staggering £117m deal for Morgan Rogers. The pundit highlighted the tactical intelligence Alonso brings to the dugout following his successful stint in Germany.

"I’m very excited. I think the manager is a clever, clever move," McCoist explained. "What is important, as much as anything, is what goes on in the dressing room before training, after training, all that kind of stuff."

One of the main criticisms directed at Chelsea in recent years has been the lack of veteran presence within their expensive, young squad. Alonso has looked to rectify this by bringing in Premier League stalwarts Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. McCoist believes these additions will transform the internal culture at Cobham, providing the "togetherness" that was missing during previous regimes under different management.

"We’ve looked at Chelsea and one of the criticisms has been that they look as though they’re a young group of players. They looked as though they didn’t have any real direction or togetherness at times," McCoist noted. "Those two signings, Henderson and Welbeck, they get right into that dressing room and one thing they get is respect, you know.

"And they’ll be able to see and monitor things. I’m really interested to see how Chelsea start the season. I think they could be one to watch; they’ve obviously got some real quality players."