- Arsenal are playing against Southampton in the Premier League this weekend
- One point separates Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool after six rounds of games
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is focusing on his own team and has insisted that it is too early to think about possible title rivals in the Premier League.
The Gunners, after finishing second behind Manchester City in each of the past two seasons, are bidding to be crowned English champions for the first time since 2004.
Arteta and his players have made it no secret that this season’s aim is to win the title, but he has played down talk of a possible three-way battle between Arsenal, City and Liverpool.
‘No, it’s super early’, he said on Friday, after being asked whether there could be a three-horse race this season.
‘For me, we just started it. But you can feel already the tension, the importance of every match. But we are just in early October.’
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured during a training session at London Colney on Friday
Man City, managed by Pep Guardiola (right), have won four straight Premier League titles
Arsenal and City – who drew 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium last month – are both unbeaten so far this season and have each taken 14 points from their opening six league fixtures.
But it is Liverpool who currently top the table, having won five and lost one of their first six.
Arsenal will host Southampton on Saturday in a game that will see Arteta’s men go up against Aaron Ramsdale for the first time since he left the club in a deal worth £25million in August.
Ramsdale played 89 times for Arsenal between 2021 and earlier this year when he decided to leave the Emirates Stadium after losing his status as No 1 goalkeeper to David Raya.
Arteta revealed at Friday’s press conference that the first thing he did was after finding out that Ramsdale had officially left the club.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool currently sit top of the Premier League table after six rounds of matches
Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is set to play against his former club on Saturday
‘I called him straight away after I got the news [of his move to Southampton],’ Arteta said. ‘He was really happy.
‘He is a player we love a lot. Very charismatic. He really put his fingerprints here in the way he was. And it will be very nice to see him.’
