Robin van Persie has backed to pip to the Premier League title and says the Gunners have been showing the form of champions in recent weeks.
The Gunners will boast an eight-point lead over Man City when the Premier League season resumes this weekend, having bounced back from a worrying wobble with six straight league wins.
Arsenal last won the Premier League in 2004 and face competition from a Manchester City side who have are bidding to win their fifth title in six years.
Mikel Arteta’s side still face a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium but Van Persie nevertheless expects Arsenal to be crowned champions.
The Netherlands legend, who spent eight years at Arsenal, won the Premier League with Manchester United in 2013.
‘If you look at this period of time, this is where every single point really counts,’ Van Persie told .
‘They’ve had a couple of difficult games recently. They got the three points there, and that is what makes a champion’s team.
‘They’ve been proving that. But the last stretch is always the difficult one, so it’ll be interesting to see.
‘But my personal feeling is that they will go for it – that they will win the league. It’s been a while, so I’m happy for them to win it.’
Arsenal resume their Premier League title challenge on Saturday against relegation-battlers Leeds United, while Manchester City host Liverpool.
The Gunners took advantage of Man City’s FA Cup commitments to extend their lead in the title race with a .
Asked about Arsenal’s commanding lead at the top of the table, Arteta said: ‘It feels very good, especially with the way we have played and the results we have picked up.
‘Now we must stop and make sure everyone comes back from the internationals with the same mindset. We have Leeds next and we put the focus there.’
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