Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino has praised Arsenal ahead of the Premier League meeting between the two clubs on Sunday.
Arsenal make the trip to St Mary's having suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, and manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that it is unrealistic for the Gunners to believe that they can win this season's league crown.
However, Pellegrino has insisted that the North Londoners are still capable of launching a charge for the title during the second half of the campaign.
The 46-year-old told reporters: "The last third of the season is the most important part. Arsenal have to have this race at the end with good performances. They are a really strong side.
"They're not in the Champions League this year but most of the time they are in Europe and are always fighting for the top four. They've bought important players and I think they are a really good team - they are a really difficult team to beat. They are a top team."
Southampton currently sit in 11th place in the standings, 11 points adrift of Arsenal who are in fifth position.
Darren Plant
