Rob Holding weighs in on former club Arsenal's title chances this season

Rob Holding believes Arsenal can mount another Premier League title challenge this season.

The Gunners led the table for 248 days in the 2022-23 campaign but a weak end to the campaign allowed Manchester City to win the title by five points. The north London giants have started the season strongly.

Both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have 20 points from eight matches, with Spurs leading on goals scored. Manchester City are third with 18 points to their name after a 1-0 league loss against Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates on 8 October.

Holding, who played for Arsenal for seven years until leaving for Crystal Palace this summer, told TalkSPORT:

"The way they’ve started the season I’m sure they can carry on and go for another title charge... He’s got a team there who are believers in his system and what he sees and I think that’s why over the last few years they’ve kicked on."

Arsenal last won the Premier League title in the 2003-04 season, when Arsene Wenger led them to an unbeaten league season. The Gunners return to action on 21 October when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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Mohamed Elneny recalls the day Arsenal made him cry with new contract

Mohamed Elneny has stated that Arsenal's decision to offer him a new contract reduced him to tears.

The Egypt international suffered a knee injury in mid-January that ruled him out for the tail end of last season. The following month, however, saw the 31-year-old pen a new contract which extended his stay until the summer of 2024.

Recalling the day he was offered a new deal, Elneny said, via the Evening Standard:

"It was one of the happiest days in my life. The way they spoke to me, the way the entire club was happy about this decision, they made me cry this day...

"I was injured and my contract was finishing and I could not play anymore last season, and they came straight away after I got injured, the next day and said: ‘Mo, what sort of contract will it have to be? We love you here and we and we want you to stay’. Really, this club is great."

Elneny returned to action as a late substitute in his team's 1-0 EFL Cup third-round win against Brentford on 27 September. It remains his only appearance this season so far.

The Egyptian midfielder joined the club in January 2016 and has since registered six goals and 10 assists in 156 games.