Wenger - This is the best title race

Arsene Wenger says the 2015/16 title race is shaping up to be one of the best - because it's so entertaining and competitive.

Arsenal go into the new year in top spot with Leicester City behind on goal difference and Manchester City three points adrift.

The top four are separated by four points and surprise packages Crystal Palace, Watford and Stoke City have caught the eye while traditional contenders like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United struggle for consistency.

"How do you measure [the best title race]?" asked Wenger. "On entertainment? Then look at the audiences of the Premier League and of the rest of the world, then you come to give me an answer, and it's yes. At the end of the day public opinion decides that [it's the best].

"I believe that when, for example, in Greece the leaders were 18 points in front of the second place, they played 15 games and had 15 wins. In France Paris Saint-Germain are 15 or 16 points in front.

"If you have that everybody will say it's boring and it is better you have the situation we have today where seven or eight teams can win it."

Arsenal climbed back to the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday and held their position after Leicester's revelatory season continued with a creditable 0-0 draw against Man City.

"Being top on goal difference doesn't make a big difference, it is just down to how well you play," said Wenger. "Your performances dictate all that and you have to be guided by your performances.

"After that it is reassuring to know that if your performances are right you do not need bad results from somebody else. That is one less stress. It is a bad thing in our job - we always want to be successful and we wish that the others are not.

"That is not a very good feeling in our position, but once you are first you can just focus on your performance.

"I heard last night the cliché… 'nobody wants to win this league'. I can say as well that everybody wants to win it. And if you were in the game you would think that's not the case - everybody wants to win it but it's difficult."