Rio Ferdinand performs huge Arsenal Premier League title race prediction U-turn

Rio Ferdinand has issued a bold Premier League title prediction (Image: Getty Images)

Rio Ferdinand has tipped Arsenal to be Liverpool ’s main challengers for this season’s Premier League crown, NOT Manchester City . The Gunners have enjoyed an impressive start to the new campaign under Mikel Arteta .

They have won two out of their opening three games - their only defeat coming in the 1-0 loss to reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield before the international break. And Ferdinand has seen enough from Arsenal to tip them for yet another Premier League title push this season.

Having previously claimed that Pep Guardiola’s Man City would be Liverpool’s main challengers, the Manchester United icon has been forced into a rethink. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "I think you always have to have respect for the champions, no matter who it is. Champions normally go into the following season as the team to beat, that’s inevitable.

"If you look at the way Liverpool have recruited in the summer, they’ve had the best window by far. Their intentions were pure and clean and transparent from the get-go, and they managed to execute everything apart from Marc Guehi. If they had got Marc Guehi, I think they would have cleaned up everything, to be honest.

"I think the only team who will be anywhere near Liverpool this season is Arsenal. They’ve got a great squad, real good depth with who they’ve bought. I think they’ve had a good window and if [Viktor] Gyokeres comes good, it puts them in a better position.

"I don’t think we’ll see anyone else. Anyone you think might be a surprise, a Newcastle or a Chelsea, I think European football hinders them a little bit in that respect. Just the demands it puts on the squad."

Arsenal have enjoyed a positive start to the new season (Image: Getty Images)

Back in June Ferdinand told his YouTube subscribers that it would only be City and Liverpool battling for the title this campaign. "It's only going to be between Liverpool and Man City next season," he said.

"Arsenal might kick up a fuss for a couple of months – six months maybe – [but nothing more]. Arsenal's signings right now look likely to be [Christian] Norgaard, who is 31 years old, Kepa [Arrizabalaga], who was a reserve keeper at Chelsea, and Martin Zubimendi, but the entire fan base is crying out for a centre forward or a left winger."

Arsenal will certainly be aiming to lay their intentions for another title push this weekend as they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium . Meanwhile, Liverpool - who have won each of their opening three games - head to newly-promoted Burnley.

And Arsenal boss Arteta has insisted that they are still huge favourites to claim the title once more. He said: "They are the strongest for sure.

"They have recruited the two most decisive players that were in Europe in the market [Isak and Wirtz], and they did really well to do that. They were very, very strong, and we need to look at ourselves and what we have to do in terms of our abilities to be better than them."

From the City side of things, Pep Guardiola ’s side have endured a poor start to the season, having slipped to back-to-back defeats to both Tottenham and Brighton. City take on rivals Manchester United in the Manchester Derby on Sunday afternoon.

Following the latest round of Premier League fixtures, attention will then turn to the Champions League. Arsenal take on Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in their opening fixture.

They then face Manchester City next weekend in a game that could potentially be crucial to their hopes of securing the title. Meanwhile, City take on Italian champions Napoli in their opening European game.

Liverpool also have a testing start to their Champions League campaign with a showdown with Atletico Madrid ahead of the first Merseyside Derby of the season.