Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere believes that the North London outfit are deserved Premier League leaders due to their ability to grind out victories.

The Gunners currently top the table with a one-point gap between themselves and Manchester City after 20 games.

The club's surge up the standings is a stark contrast to their form last season, which resulted in them clinching fourth spot over rivals Tottenham Hotspur by a slim margin.

"Sometimes you can't always play your best and you have to still win games - you have seen the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea do that in the past and we are doing it now," The Express quotes Wilshere as saying.

"Every team is going to go through a little blip. We had ours and luckily came back strong."

Chelsea and Liverpool make up the top-four spots in the table at this stage of the campaign.