Antonio Conte insists Arsenal are genuine title challengers

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has insisted that Arsenal are among the prime contenders for the Premier League crown despite their slow start to the campaign.

The north London giants have already suffered two defeats from their opening four games of the season - including a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal won their respective European games in midweek, and Conte expects a difficult test against the Gunners on Sunday. Arsene Wenger's side have not won at Stamford Bridge since the 5-3 triumph back in 2011, but Conte does not believe it will be a cakewalk over their city rivals.

"For sure Arsenal is a big rival for the title. If you see their squad you can understand there are a lot of top players. I don't understand why they can't fight for the title. They lost only one player now, (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain. They kept all the players from last season," he told reporters, as per ESPN.

The Gunners have won the last two meetings against Chelsea in the FA Cup final and the Community Shield, but both of those games were played at the Wembley, where they have held a brilliant record of late.

While Conte does not appear confident over a win, the Blues will hold a significant advantage in the Sunday clash as the Gunners have not registered an away victory against top-six opposition since the 2-0 triumph over Manchester City in February 2015.