Arsene Wenger has labelled Chelsea as ‘super-favourites’ for the Premier League title after watching the leaders close in on Arsenal’s record for consecutive victories.
Antonio Conte’s side have opened up a six-point lead at the top of the table thanks to a superb run of 12 successive wins.
Chelsea have been perfect in the league since a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on September 24 led to a change in formation from Blues boss Conte
The west Londoners can consolidate pole position in this weekend’s clash with Stoke and Gunners manager Wenger conceded on Friday they are firm favourites to take the title.
“At the moment Chelsea are the super-favourites because they are quite big and made a big difference,” Wenger said.
“But it is theirs to lose as we say here in England. They can still lose it, at the moment they have won it but they can still lose it.
“It’s still a long way to go and very difficult for everybody so the head-to-head (matches) will have a vital importance.
“They have addressed their problems well. You have to give credit to Conte to find a solution that has balanced well his team.
“They bought David Luiz who stabilised their defensive record and I think overall they are the team that has been the most consistent until now.”
Arsenal won 13 consecutive Premier League games on their way to the title in 2001-02, extending the run to 14 the following campaign, but Wenger says he would do nothing but congratulate Chelsea if they match their single-season run.
“What they do is fantastic,” he added. “If they do it, it’s absolutely marvellous because nobody expected that.
“At the start of the season, they had a little bit of a dodgy start, but after, since they’ve changed their system, they are on a run where the confidence plays a big part.
“If they do it, you can only say ‘well done’. Record are there to be beaten and if somebody does better than you, you have to acknowledge it and say ‘well done’.”
AFP
