Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey insists that it is too early to judge teams in the Premier League as he hit back at recent criticism from former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.
Arsenal's slow start to the season -- as they took seven points from four games -- has been criticised in the media but, after a morale-boosting 1-0 win over 10-man Newcastle this weekend, Ramsey believes that the early games do not offer a true reflection of how the table will look at the end of the season.
"It's too early now," he said. "You can't read too much into how the table is looking. You have to wait 10 games and see where you are then.
"Teams are going to have upsets and so many things can happen in this league. Hopefully that opening-day upset against West Ham will be our only one for a long time.
"If we go on a run now after the international break, and win our next five or six games, then we will be there or thereabouts again. It's important just to concentrate on what we know we can do."
Neville's criticism was widely reported, but the Wales midfielder insists that the Arsenal players just try to focus on their own performance.
"We don't take too much notice," he added. "We know what we're capable of doing.
"We know the players we have and it's just important for us to concentrate on that and sometimes come to these sort of places and grind out results."
Arsenal have been linked with a top-class striker during this transfer window and Ramsey would not be drawn on whether a new addition would be joining him before the end of the deadline.
"That's up to the manager," he said. "We have a lot of quality in this squad, and a lot of competition for places as well.
"I'm fairly confident that this squad can go and challenge for many titles this season and for many years to come."