Premier League title race: Could Brighton stop Arsenal from going back-to-back?

While they have rarely been spectacular, the Premier League title already looks like Arsenal's to lose after amassing a five-point lead at the top of the table after 10 games.

Mikel Arteta's men have proved too strong for their opponents in nine out of their 10 games, with the exception of one team who stunned them in a 3-0 defeat in September. It is the same team who also happen to now be closest to them in the table - Brighton.

The Seagulls have been outstanding so far, winning seven of their 10 games - including wins over Man City as well as Arsenal. They are the league's top scorers with 26 goals - 11 more than the Gunners - while the seven goals they have conceded is only two more than the champions.

This weekend's action, which saw them dispatch Brentford 2-0, has led the bookies to now consider them the most likely team other than Arsenal, who are odds-on at 1/4, to win the Premier League title.

That shift in the market is partly down to the struggles of the more established teams who were previously thought to be Arsenal's biggest threat.

Man City won their first seven games under Enzo Maresca before losing their last three Premier League games, reminding the Citizens of the reality of an inevitable drop-off in the post-Pep Guardiola era.

The potential punishment following their guilty verdict for financial breaches is a cloud hanging over them and may be affecting their title chances, with City now drifting to 12/1 to win it.

Liverpool are given a slightly better chance of the title at 11/1, but that may be more due to a potential City points deduction rather than matters on the pitch, with the Reds already nine points behind the Gunners.

There are undoubtedly signs of positivity at Anfield, but only five wins from their opening 10 games would suggest Andoni Iraola is still looking to find the right balance with his players.

A similar thing can be said for Chelsea, who are also working under new manager Xabi Alonso. The Blues have secured some standout wins over Brighton, Bournemouth and Manchester United but also been convincingly beaten by the likes of Arsenal, Brentford and Tottenham. Their title odds are significantly longer at 33/1 as a result.

Plenty of factors are working in Brighton's favour right now, but could they really stop Arsenal from winning a title? It looks a tall order, but the fact we are even asking question is an achievement in itself.

The highest the South Coast club have ever finished in the Premier League is sixth in 2022/23, while they are playing in Europe for only the second time in their history this season after qualifying for the Conference League.

While a potential title challenge looks like an ambitious bet at 10/1, Brighton are odds-on to beat the likes of City, Spurs and Aston Villa and finish in the top four at just 4/9, which feels a more realistic punt and would mean Champions League football would be coming to the American Express Stadium for the very first time.

Verdict: Brighton to finish in the top four

View the latest Premier League odds here.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.