11 pundits predict where Arsenal will finish this season as title race advantage identified

Arsenal's Premier League title defence will soon get underway and a host of pundits have given their verdicts on where the Gunners will finish this season

Arsenal are heading into a Premier League campaign as reigning champions for the first time in 22 years. And a handful of pundits think they'll be they'll be firm favourites in their title defence.

The Gunners' two-decade-long duck was broken last season as Mikel Arteta finally delivered a league title to N7. On top of that, they also enjoyed a run to both the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals, coming up just short in both.

With their squad buoyed by the arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United and Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, not to mention the permanent signing of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal look mean heading into their league opener against Coventry City.

Alan Smith - 1st

"I've got to go for Arsenal winning it again. Let's hope," Smith told Metro. "Then Manchester City. Manchester United, they finished third last year and I think they're going to be better off this year."

Martin Keown - 1st

"You can't argue that these two (Manchester City and Arsenal) are the best two teams in English football," Keown said on talkSPORT after the Community Shield. "There's lots for us to look forward to but the stability is with Arsenal."

Paul Merson - 1st

Merson wrote in his Sky Sports column: "I just can't see anybody stopping Arsenal. They'll win it quite comfortably. I don't see a single weakness in them regarding the Premier League."

Wayne Rooney - 1st

"Arsenal have the potential to run away with it, but behind them we could see a lot of changes," Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast. "I think Manchester United will finish fourth."

Steve Bruce - 1st

"I still think Arsenal are the ones to beat and they've just strengthened as well with Bruno Guimaraes alongside Declan Rice," Bruce said on talkSPORT. "And I still believe there's one or two coming into Arsenal. They're still the ones to beat. They won it at a canter in the end, didn't they?"

Peter Crouch - 1st

"It'll be interesting to see how they go but I don't think Liverpool can win the league this year," Crouch told That Peter Crouch Podcast. "Top four, I'm going to go, Arsenal to win it, City second, Man United, Chelsea."

Jamie Carragher - 2nd

"I can only see Arsenal or City. I think City [will win the league]," Carragher said on the Football Ramble podcast. "The reason I think City is that I think they were still close last year and I'm a fan of Maresca in terms of what he does on the pitch."

Joe Cole - 2nd

"I can obviously see why Arsenal are the favourites to retain the Premier League title but Manchester City will be better than last campaign. I'm going to back City to win the title under Enzo Maresca," Cole told Paddy Power.

"City finished strong last season and if you're going to change your manager, make it as seamless as possible and that's what they've done by replacing Pep Guardiola with Maresca. He's been at the club, he knows Pep well and I've seen him work at Chelsea. The Community Shield was a little blip and I'm backing City to beat Arsenal to the title this season."

Jamie O'Hara - 1st

"Arsenal will win the league, Man City will finish second, Man United will finish third, Chelsea will finish fourth, Liverpool will finish fifth and Spurs will finish sixth," O'Hara told talkSPORT.

Joleon Lescott - 1st

"It is very early [to make predictions], but you would say Arsenal," Lescott told The Mirror. "Considering the key factors, they probably have fewer obstacles ahead of them. [Mikel] Arteta has continuity with the players and the squad now has genuine belief, so I would say Arsenal."

Michael Owen - 1st

"Arsenal only have to stand still and I think they win the Premier League again," Owen said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

"I can't see anyone jumping out of the pack and getting 85 points whereas Arsenal are pretty much guaranteed to hit that number again."