Mikel Arteta told Arsenal have secured 'massive transfer' who can topple Man City

Former Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has given his verdict on Arsenal's title hopes — pointing out that one summer transfer in particular may have tipped the balance in the Gunners' favour.

Arsenal are level with Manchester City, two points off top spot, following their dramatic comeback to earn a point at Chelsea on Saturday. They are determined to mount another title challenge this term and proved their credentials with a hard-fought win over Pep Guardiola’s side, prior to the international break.

The sale of Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen this summer could have negatively impacted Mikel Arteta's team if the club had not found the correct replacement in the transfer market. Their pursuit of Declan Rice was well-documented with the Gunners eventually agreeing a deal rising to £105m for the England midfielder.

Rice has already begun to repay Arsenal’s faith, showcasing the same leadership qualities that he honed at West Ham, as well as scoring against Manchester United and Chelsea. Manchester City hero Wright-Phillips has been impressed with how Rice has evolved from initially being a defence-minded player into a game-changing midfielder and sees him as pivotal to Arsenal’s chances of ending their 20-year wait for another Premier League title.

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“For me, Declan Rice was a massive buy,” Wright-Phillips told Betway. “If you look at, say, City’s team, he would be in there as well. He’s added a lot of goals to his game.

“I think he was called out at a point last season saying he doesn’t get enough goals, and in my opinion I