Man City have a major title advantage – and Arsenal and Mikel Arteta know it

For the second season running, Pep Guardiola's own former confidant Mikel Arteta stands in the way of Manchester City winning another Premier League title.

The close presence of Arteta, as well as Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool this season, is a familiar one for City. Under Guardiola, it's only really Klopp and Arteta who have come anything like close to matching their dominance and disrupting their success. Manchester United finished second under Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but neither launched genuine title challenges to speak of. This season is different and the three-horse race adds a further element of intrigue, especially for the neutrals.

But there's still that question mark hovering over Arsenal's credentials given, of the trio, they are the novices when it comes to winning trophies. Both City and Liverpool have won the league and Champions League in recent times. Arteta has lifted the FA Cup but the Gunners' last title success came 20 years ago under Arsene Wenger.

After his side fell off the pace last season, Arteta knows exactly the size of the challenge facing his team as we approach the title run-in. Arsenal may be top of the table on goal difference right now, but can they cope with City's usual April charge towards the summit? Do they have the belief required to prevail.

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We'll know a lot more when the Gunners take on City later this month, a repeat of a game where the Blues firmly extinguished Arsenal hopes a year ago with a dominant victory.

"We have to stand up and look at the bigger picture," Arteta said after the 4-1 humbling. "The fact we