Arsene Wenger says it's too early to say whether his Arsenal team can sustain a challenge for the title - but he believes they are more competitive now.
The Gunners sit top of the Premier League after five games and are on a run of eight straight wins in all competitions after losing their opening game of the season.
Wenger has won three championships with Arsenal and he believes that the Club is stronger after a productive summer off the pitch. But he will wait until the business end of the campaign before making bold statements about his team's title credentials.
"This is the first year that we have not only not lost a big player but bought a big player so that's what is new for us"
"Let's see," said Wenger. "I think if we are in April this time competing for the championship we will be in a much stronger position than the years before.
"This is the first year that we have not only not lost a big player but bought a big player so that's what is new for us.
"Until 2005 we were a team who could compete every year to win the championship. After we moved into the new stadium, it's not a coincidence that suddenly we were bit [lacking]. Even if in some seasons we were close to winning the championship, we couldn't win it.
"Maybe we missed that little bit of experience and quality that makes the difference in April."
Wenger is confident that Arsenal can compete with the Premier League's traditional powers - but he says there is now a bigger challenge on the continent.
"We are resource-wise more competitive, that's for sure," said Wenger. "But internationally, it's become harder because you have more clubs who can buy the big players.
"We are more competitive with the English clubs and with the foreign clubs but the competition overall in Europe has become bigger because more clubs have the financial resources to buy the big players."
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