John Obi Mikel says only two clubs can win the Premier League this season | Football

John Obi Mikel thinks Arsenal have the strongest squad in the Premier League, but believes two other sides will instead contest for the title.

Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to finally shake their ‘nearly men’ tag this season having finished second in the past three league campaigns.

To that end, the Gunners launched another summer of lavish spending to add more depth to their squad, splashing more than £250million on eight new signings.

Viktor Gyokes was the headline deal, brought in from Sporting Lisbon to try and provide Arsenal with a regular out-and-out goalscorer.

But the north London side also improved in other areas, recruiting Martin Zubimendi to replace Thomas Partey in central midfield, while also adding Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze to give them more options in wide forward areas.

And Mikel is in no doubt that Arsenal’s summer business means their squad is the envy of the entire league.

‘The club again, the owners, the hierarchies have gone out again and massively backed Mikel Arteta,’ he said on The Obi One Podcast.

‘They have the strongest squad in the Premier League them and Liverpool. In terms of depth, Arsenal has the strongest, two players in every position.

‘Arteta knows there is no excuse and I’m happy he’s come out and said it. He has to win the Premier League or Champions League, and winning the League Cup or FA Cup is not going to do it.

‘I’m sure right now they also believe that this is the time, this is the season.’

Despite that strength, however, Mikel believes that it is his former side, Chelsea, as well as the defending champions Liverpool, who are best positioned to win the league this season.

Liverpool have a perfect record after three games, and have still to add Alexander Isak to their side after he completed a deadline-day move from Newcastle United.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are still unbeaten and sit in second, with Enzo Maresca’s side clearly full of confidence after a summer which saw them win the Club World Cup.

‘I think it’s between Liverpool and Chelsea, and we have a good chance of winning it,’ Mikel said when asked about his former side’s title chances.

‘Right now if you look at what team you think can beat Liverpool, I say Chelsea the way we play. We are the best team in terms of playing out from the back.

‘The way Enzo Maresca has got this team playing out from the back, it doesn’t matter how much you press our players, we have the belief, we have the braveness to play it out from the back.

‘We are the team that can be able to hurt this Liverpool side. We can be there come the end of the season so it’s between us and Liverpool.’

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