Liverpool, Arsenal or Man City? Shay Given changes Premier League title prediction

Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given (Picture: Getty)

Shay Given appears to have changed his mind about the Premier League title race.

Liverpool were installed as the pre-season favourites after winning the Premier League by ten points last term .

The Reds enjoyed a brilliant transfer window, spending over £400m on the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

Liverpool were the only team to still boast a perfect record after three games and will look to extend their winning start on Sunday when they travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley.

Given backed Liverpool to retain the Premier League title before the season started , tipping Arsenal to finish as runners-up for the fourth year in a row and Manchester City and Chelsea to make up the top-four.

But the former Premier League goalkeeper has been impressed by Arsenal’s start to the season and says ‘this is their opportunity’ to finally get their hands on the trophy.

Arsenal lost to title rivals Liverpool before the international break but got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest .

Arsenal thumped Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium (Picture: Getty)

Discussing the emphatic win on BBC’s Match of the Day , Given said: ‘Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus were all missing today, Martin Odegaard went off injured.

‘Look at Arsenal’s strength in depth now, this is probably the strongest squad Mikel Arteta has had. This is their opportunity, I feel, to win the Premier League.

‘Arteta’s built a really strong squad and he must believe and they must believe this is their year if they keep the majority of the squad fit.’

Arne Slot celebrates during Liverpool’s trophy parade (Picture: Getty)

Summer signing Martin Zubimendi scored twice in Arsenal’s victory over Forest, with Viktor Gyokeres netting the other in a comfortable win.

Gunners boss Arteta said: ‘We had quite a lot of uncertainties, the boys had been away for 10 days travelling the world, only one day to prepare the match with an early kick-off.

‘With those conditions, I think the boys did really well. A lot of new relationships on the pitches and you can see how they will flourish. Three goals, a clean sheet, three points so, overall, very good.’

Asked about the strength in depth of his squad and whether he created selection dilemmas, Arteta added: ‘This is what we want.

‘When you look at other teams and the squads they have built, we all have the same. You want to be competing at the very highest level.

‘We’ve lost Kai [Havertz] already for three of four months, Bukayo [Saka] for a few weeks and you need replacements. In the Premier League, it is so tough.

‘We have a lot of games so we need everybody, we are going to have to rotate the team and keep the freshness and the spirit very high.

‘We have a beautiful game to play now in Bilbao, very close to my home town and I know how it is going to be.’

Arsenal travel to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday night before facing Manchester City in another huge Premier League clash next weekend.

Nottingham Forest, who hired ex-Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou to replace Nuno Espirito Santo , face Championship side Swansea City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.