Arsenal will go into the November international break six points clear at the top of the Premier League, and two former midfielders working as pundits believe the size of that cushion should trouble the rest of the division — in part because the reigning champions have not yet hit their best form.

Martin Odegaard scored the only goal of the game as Mikel Arteta's side beat Hull City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, the Evening Standard reports. Manchester City's 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest in the day's late kick-off then left Enzo Maresca's team six points behind the leaders.

Murphy: 'more to come from this team'

Danny Murphy, speaking on Match of the Day, argued that the gap is more alarming for Arsenal's rivals given the level of performance behind it. "What's worrying for everyone else is they've got this amount of wins, this amount of points, and they haven't really played that well," he said, as reported by the Mirror.

Murphy suggested the Chelsea fixture was the exception and that in the other games Arsenal had simply got over the line. He added that there is more to come from the side and described the club as being in a strong position.

The Mirror notes that Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title last season, following three consecutive second-placed finishes, and were quickly installed as favourites to retain it.

Redknapp points to Brighton

Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, was more emphatic still. "I don't really see anything else other than Arsenal running away with this title at the moment," he said, according to the Evening Standard. "I know it's really early but I just think they're so much better than everyone else in every single area."

Asked who might mount a challenge, Redknapp named Brighton rather than City. "If you look at the league table, I think right now, probably the one you'd point to, and I never thought I'd say this at the start of the year, but it's Brighton," he said. The Evening Standard notes that Brighton have beaten both Arsenal and Manchester City this season and are being discussed as potential challengers.

Redknapp also cited Arsenal's defensive resources, referring to Saliba coming back, and said you would never see Arteta's team look as open as City did at the City Ground. The question raised was: "That one today is a sore one, it gives you the feeling right now in terms of who can challenge Arsenal?" I just don't see one," he added.

City's third straight defeat

City had won their opening seven league games but have now lost three in a row, having previously gone down to Aston Villa and Brighton. Forest were 2-0 behind within 18 minutes; Rayan Cherki pulled one back early in the second half, and Liam Delap's second goal of the match then secured the home team's win — their first at the City Ground since April, Football reports.London.

Maresca said the international break may help his players. "When you lose a game, you always want to go again immediately," he said. He also said: "But I think this international break is (good) also because it's the last one until March, so it's also good for the players." He continued: "And when we come back, we will try to win games."

The City manager rejected the idea that the three defeats shared common causes. "They are all different," he said, though he admitted his side "didn't match the intensity" at Forest. According to The Mirror, City could also be handed a substantial points deduction after being found guilty of breaking financial regulations.

What comes next

Arsenal's next fixture is away to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday 21 November, with a 17:30 kick-off at St Jamie' Park.

Photo: Arne Müseler via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, resized.