ARSENE WENGER BELIEVES it is too early to say Arsenal are back in the Premier League title race, but admits if they continue their current form they could yet challenge the top two.

The Gunners are 11 points adrift of leaders Chelsea despite picking up a 5-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday to record three straight league wins for the first time this season.

Although Wenger does not envisage either the Blues or Manchester City slipping up in their two-way race for the title, he refused to rule his side out of the running if they can maintain their current high standards.

“It’s too early to say that,” said Wenger when asked whether his team were now in the title race.

“We are 11 points behind. That means they [Chelsea and City] need to lose four games and we need to win four. I believe that we should try to be consistent and see what happens.”

Arsenal will be aided in their quest to achieve that consistency by the return of several key men, with Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott making goalscoring returns to the starting line-up, though Wenger believes they still have some way to go before hitting top gear.

“I think [Ozil] still lacks a little bit of competitive edge on the sharpness front, but the quality of his game is exceptional and he is getting back now,” Wenger continued.

“He worked very, very hard physically and he is now ready to play again.

“I still think [Walcott] needs more sharpness and contact [challenges from opponents]. He is a very intelligent player, Theo’s game is about the quality of his movement, where he gets the ball, where he can be dangerous and when he gets in front of goal he can score.”

Ozil arrived late on transfer deadline day in September 2013, but Wenger does not anticipate such activity when the current window closes on Monday. “I don’t think I will be busy,” the Frenchman added. “We have done everything we wanted.”

Let’s make Lansdowne Road a fortress again, urges upbeat Ireland boss O’Neill

16 things that will definitely happen on Transfer Deadline Day