Mikel Arteta makes surprising Chelsea admission after admitting London rivals 'fully deserve' to be in Premier League title race

Arteta has not been shy in heaping praise over one of his club's fiercest rivals. When the sides last met in March, the 43-year-old described Chelsea as the "best attacking team in the league by a mile", despite the Gunners coming out on top with a 1-0 home win. 

Those comments were put to Arteta in his pre-match press conference earlier today. The FA Cup winning manager reiterated his assessment of his next opponents', while also confirming the Blues as credible contender to the Premier League crown this term. 

When asked if Chelsea are worthy title challengers, Arteta said: "I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years. I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there."

In reply to a question about whether he still views Chelsea as the league's best attacking force, he replied: "They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early so it's difficult to say.

"But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that's why they are very tough."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

The Spaniard was also pushed on the current injury status of a number of his squad. 

Leandro Trossard is awaiting another test of a calf problem he sustained in the Gunners midweek win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz's return could depend on the results of repeat scans on hamstring and knee issues respectively. 

Asked whether either of those attacking options returned clear scans, Arteta replied: "Clear, not yet, but they are getting closer and closer. We are very positive with both of them and that's it."

The Arsenal boss also gave an update on the return of Gabriel Jesus. tofirst team action. The Brazilian striker took part in a behind-closed-doors game at Arsenal's training ground against Watford on Thursday. Jesus had not played since undergoing knee surgery in January.

While Arteta said the 29-year-old was "very close" to return to first team action, he addedd: "We see every single day how he's reacting to the change that he had in load and then he needs to get into the chemistry of the team, understanding the things on match time which are very different to anything that he tried to replicate in training obviously and those gaps try to make them as short as possible."

The depth of Arsenal's squad has allowed them to weather a mini-injury crisis over the past few weeks. Arteta heralded his players preparation after their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday. That triumph was the most impressive win in a 16-game unbeaten run that dates back to their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool back in August. 

Chelsea also enjoyed a statement win in Europe this week, beating Barcelona 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The Blue have quietly asserted themselves over the past few weeks, scoring eight goals and conceding goals in their past three games in all competitions. 

Sunday's game feels like a crucial juncture in the title race. If Chelsea can play up to Arteta's assessment, it could trigger a three-way title race with Pep Guardiola's side also entering the fray. However, if the Gunners can take all three points, they will establish a nine point gulf. With the league's best attacking and defensive record, that's an imposing lead even with so much football still left to play.