Arsene Wenger fires warning to players over League title opportunity amid top of the table clash

Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal that they will not get a better chance to end their nearly 20-year wait for the Premier League title.

The Gunners have not been crowned English champions since the Invincibles, but under Mikel Arteta’s guidance, a young, vibrant side has emerged as an unlikely challenger.

The jitters have begun to set in, with the long-time pacesetters dropping five points in each of their last two games against Everton and Brentford.

Indeed, City can reclaim first place with a win over Arsenal in Wednesday’s summit clash, and Wenger fears his former club will regret not capitalising on their incredible start to the season, given how their traditional rivals are likely to fight back next season.

He told beIN Sport: You win it when you can win it and you don’t care too much about the rest you take the title and let the rest talk about it.

‘I agree that the conditions will not be as favourable next season as they are now, so let us not waste this opportunity. Arsenal has 51 points after 21 games, which is quite impressive.

‘I believe the usual threats have dropped out of the race. The only threat is City, and even City is not as dominant as they were last year or two years ago, and I believe City has been more vulnerable defensively than in the past.’

Wenger visited the Emirates Stadium for the first time since his emotional departure at the end of the 2017/18 season in December to watch Arsenal’s Boxing Day victory over West Ham.

The legendary Frenchman insisted he had mixed feelings about returning, but he was impressed with what he saw in the home dressing room.

‘I wanted to take my family there, and I think it’s the end of the chapter,’ he said after seeing the players in the locker room. It was a mixed feeling because I had worked hard for 10 or 12 years to make this stadium a reality.

‘It was a good feeling to see where we are now, with the crowd happy that the team is doing well. Part of your life is over, so you have mixed feelings.

‘I felt at the start it was good to take a distance and not sit there straight away and be a weight for the guy who is there. Today is different, and I felt it was the right time. The timing was a little off, but it was close to Christmas, so it was fine.

‘I like what I saw and how I felt in the dressing room. I believe the team spirit is excellent, and the young players’ humility and hunger are outstanding. They are modest and hungry.

‘They are good enough, there is always a period when you have not won that the tension comes in like now where you have to deal with it and get over. It might not be a bad idea to play a team like City now, when you have nothing to lose. You are not overwhelming favourites against Brentford, which adds to the tension.’