Are Arsenal realistic title challengers?

After the first few games of the season many were expecting Manchester City to win the Premier League with ease. However recent defeats have left the title race completely open. Arsenal are currently placed second in the league two points behind City, but are they the real deal this season?

The 3-0 victory over Manchester United was a massive statement to the teams battling at the top, but as always, there are still question marks over whether they can perform like this on a more consistent basis.

There is no denying that Arsenal have the quality within their squad to win the league. It is whether they have the mental strength to win the league. It is clear to everyone that Arsenal lack leadership in their squad, someone like Patrick Vieira who would take control of the game and organise his teammates. This has been evident in their defeats to Dinamo Zagreb, Olympiakos, Chelsea and West Ham. Not one Arsenal player showed the passion or desire you would expect to see from players challenging for the Premier League title.

Despite these poor performances the Gunners are still showing signs of class, with big victories over Leicester and Manchester United many are labelling Arsene Wenger’s side as potential champions, but how do they compare to their title rivals?

Lets start with Manchester City. Five games into the new Premier League season City had won all five fixtures, scoring 11 goals and conceding none. Many were already suggesting City were running away with the title, however this all changed fairly quickly. Defeats to West Ham and Tottenham suggested they were not the team we thought they were. City like Arsenal have a phenomenal attack, the likes of Aguero, Silva, De Bruyne and Sterling all have the ability to carry City to the title. However, their defensive stability is non-existent when captain Vincent Kompany is absent, and now that Sergio Aguero and David Silva are out injured, can they maintain the two point gap they have over Arsenal?