Olivier Giroud doubts that Arsenal will have any margin for error in their title battle against Chelsea and the Manchester sides after a slow start to the season.
Arsenal already find themselves five points off the pace just three games into the new season, with new managers Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Manchester United) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea) having won all of their matches so far.
The Gunners, though, had to wait until Saturday to get a victory on the board, cruising to a 3-1 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road, and have already seen their defensive weaknesses exposed in a 4-3 home defeat to Liverpool.
With high-quality additions such as John Stones, N’Golo Kante and Zlatan Ibrahimovic having reinforced the top three Giroud admits that the battle for the league is even tougher than last season, when the Gunners finished second to Leicester, and he fears the latter, who has already scored three league goals for Manchester United, may be the star name who decides the fate of the title.
Watford vs Arsenal - analysis
“I do not know if the league is even stronger but there is growing competition for sure,” Giroud told Le Dauphine. “With the coaches who have arrived, Mourinho, Guardiola, Conte and even Klopp, the championship promises a lot.
“Even Leicester have kept many players. The team who wins the Premier League, you’ll really have to tip your hat to them.
“We are aiming for the title, we have the potential to do so, but clubs with Manchester United, with Ibra, have had a good start to the season. We’ll see.
“In any case, it will be important not to let any points slip against smaller teams.”
Giroud is yet to start for Arsenal this season, with Arsene Wenger keen to ensure his first-choice striker recovers fully from his exertions at Euro 2016, where France reached the final.
Indeed, having played only 12 minutes off the bench in a 0-0 draw to Leicester earlier this month, Giroud’s first start of the season could come for his national side. The 29-year-old is in Didier Deschamps’ squad for a friendly against Italy and a World Cup qualifier away to Belarus.
