Newly-appointed West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce has admitted that he sees Arsenal as direct rivals in the Baggies' fight against relegation to the Championship this season.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Everton boss was installed as the Baggies' new boss last week following Slaven Bilic's exit.
Following their return to the Premier League during the summer, the Hawthorns club have struggled to adapt to life back in the Premier League, winning just one of their first 14 matches.
On Sunday evening, Allardyce's first game in charge saw his side defeated 3-0 by rivals Aston Villa at the Hawthorns, leaving them five points adrift of safety.
Though Brighton & Hove Albion will be the side Allardyce currently has his sights set on, with the Seagulls currently camped in 17th place, Arsenal are only two places and two points better off than the south coast outfit, meaning they are currently in the thick of a relegation battle.
After winning their opening two games of the campaign, Mikel Arteta's side have been on a rapid decline since, with the Gunners having lost eight of their first 14 games this season, including four defeats in their last five matches.
Though, in the eyes of some, Arsenal will always be considered as being a side too good to go down, the north London club are currently in a real rut, with relegation certainly looking like a real prospect at this moment in time.
And for Allardyce, Arsenal are a rival in their fight for survival.
"Absolutely. They haven’t won a Premier League game for almost double figures (one win in 10)," Allardyce told BBC Sport.
"Getting beaten last night, even though not in Premier League drains confidence of Arsenal’s players. They will be wondering what has hit them."
Allardyce is not the first person to have suggested that Arsenal are in real danger of suffering relegation, with Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer insisting they are in danger of falling through the trapdoor if the players don't change their mindset.
Shearer, when asked if the Gunners will avoid the drop, told BBC Sport: "I wouldn’t be so sure, not with that starting team, not with that attitude of some of those players.
"It is awful. They have no creativity, players going through the motions, players not working hard enough, players not closing down and Arteta should be a worried man relying on that group of players trying to save his job."
