You won’t be up there when it matters – Townsend tells Arsenal

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday, but will not remain at the top when it matters, according to former Chelsea midfielder, Andy Townsend.

The Gunners left Brentford with all three points in their bag, with goals from William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.

The Gunners’ now restored their one point advantage over Manchester City going into the international break.

The Portuguese midfielder’s finish was sublime and made quite the impression in the absence of Odegaard.

However, Townsend still is yet to be convinced they will mount a realistic challenge.

“I don’t believe they will be right up there when it matters, but I’m very impressed with what I’m witnessing right now,” Townsend told talkSPORT.

Arsenal have won six out of the seven matches they have played so far and their only loss was against Manchester United on September 4 with fans and some pundits already tipping them as title contenders.