Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger will have to settle for third place after a wildly successful season if Alan Hansen's predictions come to fruition.

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has once again claimed that Arsenal won't win the title this season, insisting that Manchester City and Chelsea are the undisputed top two while his former club can only hope for a top four finish.

Hansen has long been insistent that the Gunners won't maintain their current good form with Arsene Wenger having struggled with a lack of depth in his squad in recent seasons.

In the summer transfer window the Gunners made a huge signing in Mesut Ozil but the former Liverpool star argued that this won't be enough to take them into serious contention for the title.

Arsenal currently sit at the top of the table after an important win over Aston Villa took them one point clear of second-placed City. But Hansen believes the race will eventually be between Manuel Pellegrini's men and Chelsea while Liverpool fight it out for fourth place.

He told the Telegraph: "Everybody was saying in the summer that it was open season and the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton could come into it but I have never seen it like that.

"City are still the best team to watch for the neutrals and appear to have got Joe Hart back to his best but there is still work to do whenever they play away.

"It is still City's title to lose, but then we said that last season and they did end up losing it. It is a straight fight between Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho and while Arsenal may come into the reckoning I cannot see past [Chelsea and City]."

City's goal difference is currently the best in the league with the side having scored 59 times over the course of the season so far. Their recent five league wins have been by narrower margins, Hansen believes that their entertaining style of play makes them deserved favourites for the title.

"They are the great entertainers of the Premier League, they still have full-backs bombing on in the last 10 minutes, but this is the way they play and I cannot see them changing it," he explained.

"They have the attitude that 'if the other team score five goals, we will score six' but that can work against you.

"When they are at home they crush everything in front of them but away from the Etihad Stadium you cannot be hanging on if you are going to win the title."