Alan Shearer has predicted that Chelsea will improve after their poor run of form - but fears for Liverpool following their dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday.
Graham Potter's side returned to winning ways with a 1-0 success over Crystal Palace as Kai Havertz struck to earn the Blues' their first win in five matches. The result kept Chelsea in 10th, 10 points off the Champions League places but Shearer expects the Blues to close that gap in the coming weeks with players set come back from injury.
Meanwhile, the all-time Premier League top scorer has aired his concerns over the Reds' dismal recent spell, having shipped eight goals in three matches against Brentford, Wolves and the Seagulls. The defeat at the Amex Stadium was particularly damning as Brighton battered Liverpool and could've scored more than the three they netted.
Shearer told BBC Sport: "I suspect Chelsea will improve after their poor spell in the past few weeks, as their players come back from injury, but Liverpool look miles off it at the moment.
"At the moment, Jurgen Klopp’s side are terrible at the back, with no intensity when they press. They look a shadow of the side that we are used to seeing at the top end of the table, and I don’t see things getting better any time soon – it is going to be a long hard season for them."
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While Chelsea and Liverpool have flattered to deceive, Arsenal are flying towards the top of the table and have dropped just seven points all season. Their 2-0 north London derby win was the latest sign that they have evolved under Mikel Arteta and look destined to go all the way, although Manchester City, Newcastle and Manchester United will chase them down.
" Arsenal have to be favourites to win the Premier League now," Shearer told BBC Sport. "It is very clear they are going to take some shifting from the top of the table.
"The only thing we don’t know about Mikel Arteta’s side yet is how they will cope with being frontrunners in the second half of the season. But it doesn’t look like their inexperience of being in a title race is fazing them at the moment. Their superb win over north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday was further proof of that.
"In the first half we saw their attacking intent and creativity, pressing Spurs to keep them penned in their own half and then capitalising on their mistakes. Arsenal had more defending to do in the second half but they were just as good without the ball and, when Tottenham did get through, Aaron Ramsdale put in a brilliant goalkeeping performance to keep them out.
"I was really impressed with their whole team, from front to back, and it looks like they have got the required steel – plus the bit of bite and hunger – that they will need in the next few months. To be eight points clear after 18 games is a terrific achievement by this Arsenal side – and it's fully deserved too. Now they have to try to stay there, and many of their players have already learned the hard way how quickly things can change."
