Alan Shearer column: Why Arsenal are in control of the Premier League title race

Arsenal person to beryllium favourites to triumph the Premier League now. It is precise wide they are going to instrumentality immoderate shifting from the apical of the table.

Their superb triumph implicit northbound London rivals Tottenham connected Sunday was further impervious of that.

In the archetypal fractional we saw their attacking intent and creativity, pressing Spurs to support them penned successful their ain fractional and past capitalising connected their mistakes.

Arsenal had much defending to bash successful the 2nd fractional but they were conscionable arsenic bully without the shot and, erstwhile Spurs did get through, Aaron Ramsdale enactment successful a superb goalkeeping show to support them out.

I was truly impressed with their full team, from beforehand to back, and it looks similar they person got the required alloy - positive the spot of wound and hunger - that they volition request successful the adjacent fewer months.

• Gunners fans dreaming of Premier League title
• Reaction to Arsenal's triumph astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• Arsenal bushed Spurs to summation pb astatine top

Arteta appears to beryllium acceptable for anything

To beryllium 8 points wide aft 18 games is simply a terrific accomplishment by this Arsenal broadside - and it's afloat deserved too.

Now they person to effort to enactment there, and galore of their players person already learned the hard mode however rapidly things tin change. They fell distant successful the last weeks of past season, missing retired connected a top-four decorativeness and a instrumentality to the Champions League erstwhile it was wrong their grasp.

But since the commencement of this run I've been saying this looks similar a antithetic Gunners squad successful presumption of their mentality, and Arteta and his coaching squad person different year's acquisition too.

Arteta has assembled a talented squad, with an fantabulous cognition and they look precise comfy with what helium wants them to do.

As good arsenic their large volition to win, they are beardown successful each presumption and they person coped with each wounded they person suffered, including Gabriel Jesus who was truthful important for them astatine the commencement of the season, but has not played since the World Cup. Eddie Nketiah has led the enactment truthful well, it has meant Jesus has not been missed.

Tactically, it looks similar Arteta is acceptable for thing too. He surely out-thought Spurs brag Antonio Conte with his gameplan connected Sunday, particularly successful the archetypal fractional erstwhile it seemed similar Arsenal had an other antheral successful each country of the pitch.

Of people determination are inactive immoderate immense hurdles to get over: they inactive person to play Manchester City doubly and, earlier that, they look a resurgent Manchester United broadside adjacent weekend.

But each crippled is simply a large 1 erstwhile you are apical and astatine the infinitesimal they are looking truly beardown whoever they play. They are intelligibly afloat of assurance and close present it feels similar they are going to beryllium hard to stop.

Can Man Utd beryllium portion of the rubric race?

The full play went precise good for Arsenal - it ever helps erstwhile things spell incorrect for your nearest rubric rivals, similar it did for City with their decision successful Saturday's Manchester derby.

The defending champions were unfortunate with United's equaliser done Marcus Rashford, which I felt should person been called offside, and that extremity wholly changed the game.

I inactive don't spot City giving up their rubric without a combat though, and they are not the lone ones who could inactive situation Arsenal from here.

I recognize wherefore radical are talking astir Manchester United again, due to the fact that they are flying astatine the moment, connected a large tally of results, and Erik 10 Hag has made astonishing advancement with his squad successful a abbreviated abstraction of time.

At the infinitesimal you cannot regularisation United out, due to the fact that they spell to Emirates Stadium adjacent Sunday. Win that one, and you'd person to accidental they are close successful the hunt but, connected the flip side, if Arsenal crook them implicit past their rubric hopes are good and genuinely over.

Like Manchester United, Newcastle are lone a constituent down City, but having played a crippled more.

I would not number Newcastle arsenic rubric contenders, though. In information I inactive deliberation it would beryllium a occurrence if they decorativeness successful the apical four, contempt the problems faced by immoderate of the teams conscionable beneath them.

Tottenham's decision connected Sunday was bully quality for Eddie Howe's side, due to the fact that Spurs are successful that chasing battalion and they stay a threat. We saw however they ended past play to contradict Arsenal a Champions League place.

I besides fishy Chelsea volition amended aft their mediocre spell successful the past fewer weeks, arsenic their players travel backmost from injury, but Liverpool look miles disconnected it astatine the moment.

At the infinitesimal Jurgen Klopp's broadside are unspeakable astatine the back, with nary strength erstwhile they press.

They look a shadiness of the broadside that we are utilized to seeing astatine the apical extremity of the table, and I don't spot things getting amended immoderate clip soon - it is going to beryllium a agelong hard play for them.

I similar Newcastle to triumph a cupful than decorativeness successful apical four

Newcastle fans are having a precise antithetic clip of things close now, of course, and I americium enjoying each infinitesimal of it.

Howe is doing a superb occupation and helium picked up different large effect this weekend, with their precocious triumph implicit Fulham.

Right from the start, it felt a spot level - from the players and adjacent for the fans - which was understandable pursuing the excitement of the midweek triumph implicit Leicester that enactment Newcastle into the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Newcastle didn't play good connected Sunday and needed a spot of luck with Aleksandar Mitrovic's missed penalty, but it was conscionable astir getting the 3 points and it didn't truly substance however they got them.

Finishing successful the Champions League places would beryllium perfectly fantastic but it is the accidental of silverware that means the astir to me.

My imagination for this play would beryllium a trophy - I'd overmuch similar the Carabao Cup to the apical four.

I'd emotion to spot some happen, obviously, but springiness maine a prime and I'd spell for silverware each time long. It's acold much important to me.

The past trophy Newcastle won was the Fairs Cup - the tourney that yet turned into the Europa League - successful 1969.

That was earlier I was born, truthful it has been a precise agelong hold to spot america triumph something. I anticipation it is over, soon.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

• Our sum of your Premier League nine is bigger and amended than ever earlier - here's everything you request to know to marque definite you ne'er miss a moment