Arsene Wenger: Premier League is more competitive than ever

Arsene Wenger feels that the Premier League is more competitive than ever as his Arsenal side aim to preserve their place at the top of the table.

The Gunners, who overcame Marseille 2-0 in the Champions League in midweek, travel to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon looking to keep their four-point lead intact.

And the Frenchman believes that the league table will be a reliable indicator for the remainder of the season after this weekend’s fixtures.

“In the Premier League at the moment, it looks to be difficult to win everywhere,” said Wenger.

“The difference in quality between first and 20th has shrunk. So it all will be down to consistency – as I’ve said many times.

“We have played 12 games. We play game number 13 on Saturday so we’ll be one third of the way through the season.

“After that we’ll have the first look at the forces present in there. It means you can go to the first conclusions [about] how this Premier League will be.”

Wenger also warned his side to be prepared for a testing encounter against Malky Mackay’s men, who earned a 2-2 draw with Manchester United last weekend.

“I’m impressed with them I must say,” said Wenger.

“They beat Man City at home and when they played against Man United at home just last Sunday, if you look at the numbers, their possession was 50:50.

“That means it was not a coincidence that it was a draw. The conclusion of the game was a fair result.”