David Luiz insists Arsenal can be Premier League title challengers this season

David Luiz

David Luiz believes Arsenal have what it takes to battle for the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners are third in the table after eight games of the 2019/20 campaign, having won four and drawn three of their eight top-flight encounters up to now.

However, Liverpool’s 100 per cent winning start means Unai Emery’s men are already nine points adrift of top spot.

Luiz insists his team remain in the title picture, though, declaring that he and his colleagues are up for the fight in the months ahead.

“For me, if you start something, and we've just started the Premier League and all of the competitions, if you don't think you can win the competition then you won't start anything in your life,” he told NBC Sports.

"I want to win titles with Arsenal. I want to improve and adapt myself for the style of Arsenal, as a club and how the manager wants us to play. I think we can do that together.

"My vision, my ambition and my will is always to fight for the title and between the club, the players and the coach, we have the possibility to fight for the title. I think this club deserves to shine again."

Luiz has had a mixed start to his Arsenal career following a summer switch from London rivals Chelsea.

Emery’s men have looked shaky at the back at times, with a record of 11 goals conceded in their first eight matches.

But Luiz believes that defensive struggles are not exclusive to Arsenal, and has backed his manager’s approach.

“We talk about this with every single club, Arsenal is no different," he added.

"I think Unai is working very well with the plan to defend and then the plan to attack. I always say, defending starts with the strikers and through the whole team, and you can see with modern football that the goalkeeper is now like a No 6.

"We are going to try and improve, we are already doing well and the last few games have showed that we are stronger in a defensive way. I want this club to improve in every part of the game.

"I think we've started really well and we just lost one game in the Premier League. I think the team is improving and now we are in third in the table but we want to finish this season fighting for the title."

Arsenal travel to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United on Monday night.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).