David Moyes believes Arsenal remain in a strong position to win their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, despite dropping two points against Liverpool last weekend.
The concession of a two-goal lead allowed Manchester City to close the gap at the top to six points with a game in hand and with Pep Guardiola’s side in ominous form the champions are now once again favourites to retain their crown.
Mikel Arteta’s side will hope to bounce back and return to winning ways against Moyes’ West Ham outfit on Sunday and underline their determination to take the race right down to the wire.
Moyes, who coached Arteta during his peak years as a player at Everton, has been unsurprised by the progress the Gunners have made under the Spaniard’s tutelage.
‘They’ve got a great chance,’ said Moyes when asked to rate Arsenal’s chances of ending the season with the trophy their fans crave. ‘Will they win the league, I don’t know, because they have good competition in Man City, but they have been playing some brilliant football.
They have got themselves in a great position [to possibly win the league.]
‘They are very good. And they have a good record on the road. It makes it a difficult game but we have had a good couple of games against Arsenal over the past years and hopefully, we can do that again.’
The respect between Moyes and Arteta, meanwhile, remains total with the Arsenal manager effusive in his praise of a man who helped shape his career in England as both a player and coach.
‘It’s admiration,’ said Arteta when asked about his feelings towards Moyes. I loved playing under him. I would go through a brick wall for him as would everyone from that squad.
‘He is a really good coach, exceptional at managing the group and dealing with individuals and a really special person.
‘Really trustworthy and a man who honours his words. Someone I learned a lot from.’
Asked what lessons he learned from Moyes, Arteta added: ‘He saw things in me that I didn’t know and he asked me to play in positions I had never played in my life.
‘The way he challenged me but gave me love, support and care at the same time was the right balance and was what I needed. He got the best out of me so it was really helpful.’
MORE : Mikel Arteta issues injury update on William Saliba ahead of Arsenal’s clash vs West Ham
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