EPL 2022-23: 'Don't have an opinion; can be a perception' - Arteta on Arsenal being title favourites

EPL 2022-23: Arsenal came from behind to eclipse Manchester United at home 3-2 and consolidate its place at the top of the table. With many deeming the Gunners as the title favourite, club boss Mikel Arteta terms it a "perception".

The 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL) saw a high-profile meeting between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London. The former prevailed, bouncing back to script a 3-2 win. Marcus Rashford (17) and Lisandro Martinez (59) scored for the visitors, whereas Edward Nketiah (24 & 90) and Bukayo Saka (53) did the same for the Gunners. Consequently, the Gunners now have a five-point cushion at the table-top, with quite a few terming them as genuine title favourites. However, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is not bothered and looking too far ahead, stating that he does not have an "opinion" but considers it a "perception".

"I don't have an opinion. It can be a perception. I know my team so well. I know where we are, I know we are here, and I know where we want to be, and we are still far from that. I know the level of the other teams, especially one that has won everything in the last five or six years, and we are not there yet," Arteta told Arsenal's website.

Analysing Arsenal's opening half performance of the season, Arteta considered, "Extraordinary, I would say! It doesn't get much better than that. That's the reality. I think we deserve the points that we have, I think we have played well enough to win most of the matches, but the reality as well is that we still have a lot of things that we can get much better at, attacking and defending in transitions, in set-pieces and that's the aim."

"I know my team so well. I know where we are. I know why we are here and where we want to be. We are still far from that. And I know the level of the other teams – especially one that has won everything in the last five or six years. We are not there yet," concluded Arteta.