Mikel Arteta uses Jose Mourinho tactic in Arsenal title race vs Liverpool and Man City

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta adopted an old Jose Mourinho tactic when he was asked about his side's chances in the title race. The Gunners are third, behind Liverpool and Manchester City, and Arteta has been full of praise for their Premier League rivals.

Only two points separate the three sides and the fixture calendar means that Arsenal could end the weekend top of the table with a victory over Brentford on Saturday. Liverpool are set to host Man City on Sunday and a draw at Anfield would see the Gunners stay ahead on goal difference.

However, Arteta is reluctant to give a firm answer on Arsenal's chances in the title race. The manager played down the Gunners' title hopes, in a style that was somewhat reminiscent of Jose Mourinho labelling his Chelsea side 'the little horse' in a three-way title race., back in 2014

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Ahead of Arsenal's clash against Brentford, Arteta explained: «We are third at the moment and we are competing with two (Liverpool and City) of the most successful clubs in Europe in the last decade. They have broken every record in the history of this league, they have set the standards that no one else has been capable of doing and I think they merit that recognition. But what we have to do is try to improve and do better than them.»

This campaign poses a different challenge for Arsenal, having led the table for the majority of last season. When asked if he prefers to be part of the chasing pack rather than the pressure of being first, Arteta replied: «What I enjoy is to be fighting for big trophies in this period and we