Joe Cole names two Arsenal stars who could stop Mikel Arteta’s side ‘running away’ with PL title | OneFootball

Pundit Joe Cole has explained why he thinks two Arsenal stars could stop the Premier League giants from “running away” with the title this season.

Arsenal have enjoyed a dream start to the 2025/26 campaign, winning 12 of their last 13 games in all competitions since their loss to Liverpool at the end of August.

This remarkable form has coincided with Liverpool’s decline in form and Manchester City’s inconsistency, with the Gunners sitting six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after ten games. 

The Gunners have also made the perfect start in the Champions League group stages, while they have also advanced in the Carabao Cup.

Therefore, it is looking increasingly likely that the north London outfit will end their trophy drought this season, but Mikel Arteta has played down suggestions that they already have the title in their hands.

“No, I don’t agree, sorry, because any team has the capacity and I’m sure the belief as well that they can do it,” Arteta said on Friday when it was put to Arteta that the title race is already as good as done.

“We are fully aware of that. We know our strength, we know the things that we have to improve as well and we just focus on that.”

Still, former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole thinks Arsenal “will run away with the league” this season.

“I believe Arsenal will run away with the league,” Cole told Paddy Power.

“Liverpool will come back into the race, and I think Manchester City will come too, but I don’t think I’ve seen a team as strong defensively since probably our Chelsea team in the mid-noughties.

“I can really only be envious looking at Arsenal. It’s in their hands now, they’re ten furlongs ahead!”

Cole has also argued that the “only possible thing that could stop them” is William Saliba or Gabriel getting injured.

“I can’t see any chinks in their armour, the only possible thing that could stop them would be Saliba and, or, Gabriel being injured for a significant period of the season,” Cole added.

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“But then you’ve still got Timber and Calafiori as well. They’re too strong.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot, meanwhile, has indicated that he is not looking at the table ahead of his side’s match against Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.

“I only focus on ourselves and our main focus is on consistency at the moment,” Slot said on Friday.

“We have lost a few games, much more than we usually do. Now we have won two.

“So our focus is on improving and getting players fit and we’ll see where that leads to, but at this moment in time the league table is definitely not the only focus we have.”

He continued: “We were very consistent, but we were consistently losing! That wasn’t the idea we had with consistency. The idea is to do things consistently right.”