Chelsea are a team Arsenal must be careful of in this season’s Premier League title race.

That is the view of former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, who is expecting the Blues to emerge as a big threat to Mikel Arteta side’s hopes of retaining their crown.

Chelsea have made a mixed start to the campaign under new manager Xabi Alonso, winning their opening two games against Fulham and Brighton before taking one point from a possible nine against Arsenal, Hull and Brentford.

The 3-0 loss to Brentford before the international break has left Chelsea five points behind Arsenal at this early stage and eight off current Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Eboue, though, believes the business the Blues did in the summer transfer window - spending £349million on 11 new signings such as Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck and Emi Martinez - will ultimately put them in title contention.

Speaking to LiveFootballTickets, Eboue said: “Chelsea are a team Arsenal need to be careful of because they have a lot of very good players.

“The Premier League is going to be very tough, but I believe in what Arteta is doing and I believe in Arsenal.”

That said, Eboue is expecting Arsenal to successfully defend their Premier League crown and believes this is the season when they can win a first Champions League crown, having come up short against Paris Saint-Germain back in May.

“Arsenal are my team. This season is going to be very tough because there are so many good teams and good players,” Eboue added.

“But if Arsenal play the way they have been playing, I believe they can win the league. I would give them maybe a 75 per cent chance.

“Arsenal have been getting closer and closer. If you keep getting close every year, one day you will win it [the Champions League].

“I believe in this team and in the way they play. Before, people would say Arsenal play good football but they don’t win. Now teams are going to be scared when they play against Arsenal.

“I love Arteta. I really like this manager.”

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