Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes Golden Arrows will have a very big hand in who will win the DStv Premiership title this season.

The Brazilians extended their winless run to four games following their goalless draw with Arrows at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Sundowns remain at the top of the league standings but only a point above AmaZulu, who trashed Cape Town City 5-1 on Wednesday, while Arrows remain in third place with 43 points – five off the defending champions.

Mngqithi heaped praise on Arrows for their performance against Sundowns, making bold by saying they are one of the strongest teams in the league this season.

‘We expected a very high-intensity game with very quick transitions,’ Mngqithi told SuperSport TV after the game.

‘Arrows are probably the team with the quickest transition in the league. Eight to 10 seconds and they are at your goalposts. I think we dealt very well with that pressure, their counter-pressing. These young boys work, they run, the intensity of the game.

‘We knew it was not going to be an easy game. We were clear in our minds that it’s a game that we should not lose. It’s a game that we must fight to win but never lose, because this is the team that I honestly believe has got a very big hand in who wins the league.

‘The fact we managed to go past them without losing the match we stand to gain from those who might not beat them. They are one of the strongest teams in the league. I know these boys since they were young. The capacity, I know. Honestly speaking, they are playing some enterprising football, the best transitional team.’

Mngqithi believes his side were still feeling the effects of their 2-1 defeat by Kaizer Chiefs in their previous league game this past weekend.

‘Maybe we were a bit anxious after the loss against Chiefs. We did not want to lose more than we wanted to fight for a result,’ he said.

‘But as Sundowns we need to come back. We need to start scoring, start showing the quality that we have. Sometimes I do feel that we are jaded a little bit.

‘I also believe the boys worked very hard against a very good team. It is never really that easy against Arrows. In Durban, we played to a 1-1 draw because they work very hard. But, truth be told, our team at the right time always has the better quality to finish games like this. But today we were just unfortunate not to be in that space.’