Mikel Arteta: Tottenham deserve top spot but too early for Premier League title talk

North London rivals clash on Sunday with Arsenal 11 points behind their rivals

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Reuters

Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring their first goal in front of fans at the Emirates Stadium during their 4-1 Europa League win over Rapid Vienna. Reuters

Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates their second goal scored by Pablo Mari (out of picture). Reuters

Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring their third goal. Reuters

Arsenal attacker Alexandre Lacazette opens the scoring. Getty

Arsenal's Spanish defender Pablo Mari heads home their second goal. AFP

Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring the opening goal. AFP

Arsenal fans were back in the Emirates Stadium for the first time since March. Reuters

Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe celebrates with Ainsley Maitland-Niles after scoring the fourth goal. EPA

Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah scores their third goal. Getty

Arsenal's Pablo Mari is mobbed by teammates after scoring the second goal. Reuters

Arsenal fans celebrate after match. EPA

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given credit to arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur for their place at the top of the Premier League table, but insists it's too early to makes them title contenders.

Jose Mourinho's Tottenham have not suffered defeat in the league since the season's opening weekend loss against Everton and have the opportunity to move 11 points clear of their north London foes when they meet on Sunday.

"I think it's very early in the season to see who is title contenders or not," Arteta told reporters. "But what you can say is that [Spurs] are in the position they are because they are doing things the right way."

Arsenal, in contrast, have struggled for consistency and sit 14th in the table, while their tally of 13 points is their lowest after their opening 10 matches of any league campaign since the 1981-82 season.

"The table is like that because they deserve it more than us and they've done things better than us," Arteta said. "We have to accept that. But we want to go there and make that gap three points smaller."

London has been placed under Tier 2 Covid-19 restrictions by the British government, paving the way for a return of 2,000 fans to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend for the first time since March, and Arteta is hoping his players can feed off the atmosphere too.

"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I'm not going to complain," Arteta said.

"Honestly, I'd rather play in a stadium with an atmosphere, with some fans and at this moment it's going to be for them with their supporters and the next week it will be us."