"They will finish as low as third" - Former Premier League striker makes bold claims about Arsenal in title race 

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney has made a surprising claim about Arsenal's position at the end of the 2022-23 Premier League season.

The Gunners are currently atop the Premier League with 40 points from 15 games. They hold a four-point lead over second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand.

Deeney, however, believes the surprise league leaders need to come out of January unscathed to win the title. He added that Mikel Arteta's side will finish third in all probability.

Writing for The Sun, Deeney claimed:

"Buying new players to bolster their squad is all well and good, but it is about bringing in new players and maintaining the consistency they have had so far this season, They don’t need too many additions, but if they do sign someone else, how does that dynamic change things? They have a happy squad, and you need to keep it that way."

He added:

"There is a growing expectation that Arsenal really can do it the longer they are top, and if they come out of the next month unscathed, I will start believing. But I just wonder that if City catch them, and I believe they can, will Arsenal recover from it? I actually feel they will finish as low as third come the end of the season."

Arsenal have lost just one game in the league this season and drawn one in 15 games.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta previewed clash against Brighton

Mikel Arteta Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League

Mikel Arteta spoke about the Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on December 31 as he assessed Roberto de Zerbi's team.

He said (via the Gunners' official website):

“They are a really good team, They are playing at a really high level. They are a team that dominate almost every phase of play that is relevant to dominate a football match. They have a lot of confidence and play with their own personality. I know the coach really well - he’s someone I’ve followed for a period and he’s doing really well."

He added:

“Every manager has his ideas and is different. You could see a lot of similarities with what he did at Sassuolo and at Shakhtar as well. [He has] his way of understanding the game and it’s always that type of game."

Arsenal could extend their lead to seven points over City if they beat Brighton.