Peter Seaman has made Liverpool the team Arsenal should be watching most closely in the Premier League title race, even though he has not yet seen much of Andoni Iraola’s new-look side in action. It is a clear early verdict from a former goalkeeper who sees Liverpool as the biggest threat to the reigning champions after Arsenal opened the season with authority at the Emirates.
The broader picture is straightforward. Arsenal began the first matchday with a strong statement, but Seaman’s view is that the real comparison in the title conversation is not simply with Manchester City or Manchester United. In his view, Liverpool remain the club to track most carefully as they move into a new cycle under Iraola after Arne Slot’s departure.
Seaman: Liverpool are the side to watch
Seaman’s answer was direct when asked which team he would choose as Arsenal’s main rival. He said: “Liverpool.”
That matters because it comes at a time when Liverpool are still being assessed through the prism of change. A new coach, new signings and a different feel around the squad all make the picture less settled than it is at Arsenal, where early momentum has already been established.
Seaman also admitted he had not yet seen Liverpool under their new coach and with the new additions in place. Even so, his instinct was to point towards Merseyside rather than to look elsewhere in the race.
Why Liverpool remain the most obvious challenger
The logic behind that view is not complicated. Arsenal may have started strongly, but title races are not decided by one good opening weekend. They are shaped by which contender can maintain standards through the full season, and Liverpool’s ceiling still looks high enough to keep them in the picture.
There is also an obvious fascination around how Iraola will manage the transition. Liverpool are being viewed as a team in flux, but that can work both ways: it creates uncertainty, yet it also leaves room for a new manager to make an immediate impression.
The club’s name will always carry weight in a title discussion, and Seaman’s comments show that Arsenal’s rivals are already being measured against that expectation. Even before Liverpool are fully settled, they remain the team one experienced observer is most willing to flag as a serious threat.
Arsenal set the pace, but the race is just beginning
For Arsenal, the message is simple enough. A strong start is useful, but it does not eliminate the need to keep winning. Liverpool may be in transition, and Manchester City and Manchester United will each have their own case to make, but Seaman has still chosen Liverpool as the one side that could most directly shape the title picture.
That is what makes the early weeks so important. The teams at the top are still defining themselves, and the next stretch will tell us whether Arsenal’s opening authority is the beginning of a title defence or simply the first step in a much longer contest.
