Vincent Kompany thinks Arsenal are title-challengers

People tend to put a lot of stock into what players and managers say about other teams while they're active, and I've never really understood why. When the same players and managers retire to the pundit's chair, we dismiss most of what comes out of their mouths (with a few exceptions here and there), so really the only difference is one degree closer as an observer. Maybe that's enough, I don't know.

But it's still nice to hear, and when an ostensibly good player goes up against a pair of teams in consecutive weeks, he's in a decent position to make judgement. What's my point? Vincent Kompany thinks Arsenal are better than Chelsea. At the moment, at least.

I have seen good things from Chelsea but I have seen maybe better things from Arsenal so I guess it will all be about consistency.

He said this in response to a question about the title race -- so far this season there's been a lot of noise about Chelsea running away with it, but Manchester City are also involved, and Kompany thinks both the sky-blues and Arsenal are being overlooked as challengers.

It is too early to call. Five points is nothing but Chelsea have five points more than us, it is as simple as that. But it will get messy in December and January as it always does - or at least the last six years I have been here it has.

Wait, you shouldn't try to call the title winner in September? What a concept!

Anyway, this doesn't mean a lot beside a nice bit of respect, and a little salving of the wounds I still have from Martin Demichelis' equalizer last weekend. It's still fun, though. And fun on a Monday is nice.