Theo Walcott has insisted that he and his Arsenal teammates have the belief to win the Premier League this season.

The Gunners opened up a two-point gap at the top of the table on Saturday thanks to a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at the Emirates.

The result could have been different, however, as Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum could have found the net for the visitors were it not for a resilient Petr Cech between the sticks.

"The three points are crucial at this moment in time, especially when teams slip up as well," Walcott told reporters after the game. "We've had a blip at times but it's important that we get those hard-fought three points today. In previous seasons we would have lost that or drawn, so that's a very good sign for 2016.

"The title is anyone's to be honest but there's such a belief in this team that we can do it this year. It's been a long time and everyone understands that, but you could just sense with that performance that we know what we need to do. It's up for grabs but we have the strength in depth in this squad and I believe that we can push on this season and hopefully be successful.

"A lot of games have been like that this season. The Premier League is starting to open up a little bit and a lot of teams are ready for the battle this year. The performance wasn't there to be honest, but the work rate is always there and when you have work rate you always get the success that you need, want and deserve."

Arsenal, who have not won the league in 12 years, also remain in contention for the Champions League and are defending champions of the FA Cup.