United face four-pronged challenge, says Henry

ARSENAL striker Thierry Henry declared that this season’s title race is more open than ever before, with Manchester United facing a four-pronged challenge for their Premiership crown.

However, he believes that Arsenal's relative lack of summer signings could actually work to their advantage, as they have a settled squad for the start of the new campaign this weekend.

Henry is therefore confident that Arsenal can mount a serious title bid despite having made only one significant signing, with Jens Lehmann having replaced David Seaman in goal.

However, he accepts that the Gunners and United cannot expect to have it all their own way this season, given that Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle will also challenge.

Chelsea's £75m summer spending spree, which looks set to continue as they chase Claude Makelele among others, has put them firmly in the reckoning, while Liverpool and Newcastle cannot be ruled out.

Henry declared: "People are talking about us and Manchester United, but Chelsea have bought some really good players and if they can put them all together, they can be really good.

"Liverpool and Newcastle are also trying to go one step further and this season is going to be even more competitive than last season.

"I can see more than two teams in the title race, as you can never know what can happen in the Champions League. If you go far, then you can drop some points in the Premier League. You need a big squad to play in them both," he said

Chelsea's new-look team will almost certainly need time to gel together, while United also have five new additions to their squad.

At Highbury, however, despite the apparent need for a new central defender, the outfield line-up remains exactly the same, although, crucially, Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires, have all signed new contracts.

"We have tried to keep all of our existing players and it's quite important at the start of the season that you don't have to try and put your team together," observed Henry. "Myself, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert arrived late to pre-season training, but you know the place already."

Henry's belief in the merits of a settled squad which were, ironically, espoused by Chelsea chairman Ken Bates last summer are shared by Dennis Bergkamp.

"I don't see why we can't get the title back. We still have so much ambition in this team. We are very disappointed last year and we're not afraid of it," insisted the Dutchman, who has also signed a new one-year deal.

"There wasn't really the need to buy new players. People have talked about a new defender, but now Kolo Toure has stepped in there and he can do that job.

"We will get some freshness from our two younger players, Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy, as well as Jens Lehmann, but we already had a very good squad with the players the right age and the right mixture," said Bergkamp.