Manchester City sit atop the Premier League standings three games into the 2026–27 season, but Erling Haaland believes Arsenal are still the favorites to win the title.

The Enzo Maresca era is off to a perfect Premier League start as City have emerged victorious from their first three contests of the season.

Haaland scored the winner in the 1–0 victory against Coventry City on Saturday to continue the positive momentum with a record performance, bagging his third goal in as many appearances this term.

Reigning champions Arsenal are the only other team to boast a perfect record through three games after the Gunners bested Chelsea 2–1 on Sunday afternoon. City currently hold the top spot because they’ve scored more goals than Mikel Arteta’s side, but Haaland still believes the north Londoners are a step ahead of the challenging Cityzens.

The Reason Why Haaland Views Arsenal as Premier League Favorites

Haaland’s belief that Arsenal are the main title contenders this season comes down to one thing: experience. The center forward pointed out how Arteta’s side are a well-oiled machine that has chemistry all over the pitch, whereas Maresca’s new-look City remains a work in progress.

“Arsenal have played together for a long time and have built this up over a longer period,” Haaland said after the win against Coventry. “A bit like City when I first joined. We’re still in a kind of rebuilding phase, but the transfer window has been fantastic, I have to say.”

The Gunners ended a 22-year Premier League title drought by beating City in Pep Guardiola’s final year in charge, and that’s something Haaland says his team should use as motivation this time around.

“We should be angry, we should feel a fire inside our belly because it's not good enough. It's gone two years now [without winning the Premier League] it feels like forever.” Haaland said in May. “We're going to do everything we can, everyone that will be here next season, to win the league.”

The Norwegian, though, is correct in his assessment that City are rebuilding, and they’re currently a very different club than they were even last May.

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City’s Rebuild on Display in Coventry Win

Haaland is known to be blunt with his statements and often tries to deflect pressure away from himself and his team. This summer, the towering forward thought Norway had “very slim” chances of beating Brazil before he scored a brace against the Seleçao to power his nation to its first ever World Cup quarterfinal appearance.

This time, however, there’s merit to Haaland’s claim: City are clearly rebuilding. It all starts in the touchline, as Maresca is now at the helm following the conclusion of the glorious 10-year Guardiola era in which City won six Premier League titles and their maiden Champions League crown.

But there’s also been a major squad overhaul over the last two years. Haaland, Joško Gvardiol and captain Rúben Dias were the only three players in City’s XI against Coventry that were part of the team that won their most recent Premier League title in 2023–24.

Five players in the lineup joined City after the calendar turned to 2026 and three others have less than two full seasons at the club.

It’s a completely different City than the team that won four consecutive league titles in the first half of the decade. Still, their rebuild has been quite remarkable in terms of the talent acquired, and they have the makings of a formidable side.

“Well done to the club and the people at the club,” Haaland said. “First and foremost, they’ve brought in fantastic footballers, but also great people who fit in really well. So well done to the whole club.”

City just wrapped the most expensive transfer window by a single club in history, sparing no expense in an effort to assemble the strongest squad possible for the start of the Maresca era.

Spending big doesn’t always translate to success and Haaland might be right in his assessment that despite the significant influx of talent, Arsenal remain the team to beat. Still, City are expected to be in the thick of the title race this season, and Haaland will be eager to fulfill the promise he made back in May to do everything in his power to bring his side back to the summit of the English game.