"We are not there yet" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explains why Manchester City are still Premier League title favorites

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta still believes Manchester City are the Premier League title favorites, despite the Gunners' five-point lead over the Cityzens.

Arsenal have had their best start to the 2022/23 Premier League season with a massive 50 points after 19 games. The north London outfit seem to be in pole position to win their first league title since the 2003/04 campaign.

Speaking to The Guardian, Arteta had positive things to say about his side when asked to summarize the first 19 matches.

“Extraordinary: it doesn’t get much better than that. We deserved the points we have. I think we have played well enough to win most of the matches. But the reality is we have things we can get better at. That’s the aim,” he said.

The Spanish boss, however, remains ambiguous about his side's title chances this term. Arteta claims that the Gunners are not yet at the level of Manchester City.

“I don’t have an opinion. It can be a perception. I know my team so well, I know where we are, I know why we are here and I know where we want to be and we are far from that," Arteta said. "I know the levels of the other teams and one especially that has won in the last five or six years [City] and we are not there yet.”

While the 40-year-old remains reluctant to acknowledge Arsenal's firm title chances this term, the Gunners continue to maintain their dominant form in the English top tier. The north London outfit not only have a five-point lead over Manchester City, but also a game in hand.

"Responding with the team in an exceptional way" - Mikel Arteta lauds 'incredible' Arsenal star after Manchester United win

Arsenal secured an emphatic 3-2 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates on 22 January, a fixture that saw goals from Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez.

Nketiah grabbed a brace in the encounter, including a last-minute winner. The English forward has been filling in for Arsenal's injured No.9 Gabriel Jesus, who suffered a knee injury during Brazil's FIFA World Cup campaign.

Nketiah's performances in Jesus' absence have attracted praise from the Gunners boss. Following their victory over the Red Devils, the Spanish boss was asked about Nketiah stepping up and becoming the Gunners' top goal-scorer across competitions so far this term.

According to Football.London, Arteta praised the forward's character.

"What Eddie [Nketiah] is doing is incredible. I cannot say we saw that (coming). We were hoping that he could do that because of the way he is, his mentality, and how his qualities fit in the team. Losing Gabi [Jesus] was a big blow. It is a big blow losing Gabi today but Eddie is responding with the team in an exceptional way," the Spaniard said.