In-form Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is hopeful his side can sustain a genuine challenge for the Premier League title this season.

The Gunners have not claimed top-flight glory since the 2003-04 campaign, but they have made a strong start this season, winning their last six league matches to move level on points with Manchester City at the top of the standings.

England international Walcott, who has scored five goals in eight league appearances so far this season, is refusing to get too carried away with his side’s impressive start, but he is hopeful they can challenge for overall glory.

He said: “We’ve been in this situation [contending at the top of the table] before. There’s always some sort of blip but hopefully we’re not going to have that this year.

“With the squad we have, if we keep players fit, with players coming back, then who knows? You can’t really call the Premier League this year.

It’s so unpredictable.” Walcott believes the manner of his side’s most recent victories against Burnley and Swansea show there is added steel to Arsene Wenger’s team this year, as they needed a late goal to defeat the Clarets, and they were down to 10 men for the latter stages of the match against the Swans.

He added: “The Burnley match was a game where we had to grind it out. This game [against Swansea], when we went down to 10 men, we tend to lose, to be honest.

There’s some things that are slowly getting better.” Arsenal finished second in the league standings last season and they are available at 6.00 to go one better and claim overall glory come the end of the current campaign.