ARSENAL have been here before . . . but this time, it feels different.
Masters of cocking up healthy leads in the Premier League title race, they have registered 22 points — or more — after nine matches on six previous occasions.
But in those half-a-dozen attempts, they have won the Prem just once — their Invincibles season of 2003-04.
The stars, however, are finally aligning for boss Mikel Arteta. His team is better, the squad is stronger, Arsenal’s rivals are weaker and there has also been a shortage of refereeing controversies, which has silenced the Emirates conspiracy theorists.
A mouthy Portuguese boss accused Gunners legend Arsene Wenger in 2014 of being “a specialist in failure” and, although brutal, there was an element of truth in it once the trophies dried up after the 2005 FA Cup final win.
Looking at Arsenal’s second-placed finishes over the past three seasons, Jose Mourinho might even have said the same about Arteta.
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Yet Mourinho could not fail to be impressed by Arsenal this season. He would admire the way this team are proving to be difficult to beat, even though they are not exactly thrilling the nation with their football.
Arteta’s squad no longer merely hope to win the title. They truly believe it.
The Spaniard will talk to the media on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash with Brighton, which will feature wholesale team changes.
Arteta will probably say he hates the phrase that it is Arsenal’s title to lose, but this is obviously the case.
He has been handed more than £1billion to spend on players, with a quarter of that amount being spent this summer — most notably on attackers Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.
Martin Zubimendi also arrived and his contribution in the defensive midfield role has helped protect a back four which, unbelievably, has kept ten clean sheets in 13 fixtures.
We are approaching November and still only three players — Dominik Szoboszlai, Erling Haaland and Nick Woltemade — have found a way past keeper David Raya.
Arsenal have managed five straight clean sheets and, in the last four matches, they have allowed the opposition a grand total of TWO shots on target.
The arrival of Manchester United hero Gabriel Heinze as first-team coach has been an important addition.
Arteta tends to avoid giving glowing endorsements about any of his coaches.
Yet it is understood that the club’s players have enjoyed Heinze being around as he is a different voice and is a bit of a character, putting it mildly.
In training a week ago, the madcap Argentine was seen chasing Arteta around the pitch, to the amusement of players.
Gabriel Heinze effect
Arsenal’s defenders are definitely enjoying working with the 47-year-old, known for his enthusiasm and intensity.
It is hardly a shock that centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes continue to enjoy a rock-solid partnership.
But the club’s best performer has been Jurrien Timber at right-back, while left-back Riccardo Calafiori is finally starting to justify his £42million transfer fee.
Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday, which was an improvement on their 2-2 draw in the corresponding fixture last season.
But that has been the theme of their games compared to the 2024-25 campaign. Arsenal have played nine times, although one of their opponents, Leeds, were not in the top flight in 2024-25.
Looking at the other eight teams, Arsenal have picked up 19 points, whereas, in the same fixtures last season, the tally was ten.
Set-piece dominance
Eze’s winner against Palace came after a free-kick from Declan Rice — and it was Arsenal’s 11th goal via a set-piece.
Their strength in this department is not only a real weapon but appears to be giving them a psychological edge.
Wideman Leandro Trossard said: “We are excited, as well, when we get a set-piece.
“We know we can score and it is an opportunity to score. We work a lot on it and it pays off.”
Arsenal’s squad depth
The other obvious advantage Arsenal have is they now have two players for every position. And most of them are tied up on long-term contracts, with Bukayo Saka the next likely to commit.
And they will be boosted further when Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Madueke return from injury. Equally, though, Arteta must also learn from his mistakes and not overplay his stars.
The Gunners may have not been pretty to watch this season but it has been effective. Equally, that notable lack of high-profile refereeing decisions against them has made a difference.
Getting bad luck via VAR has not been the reason Arsenal have failed in the past — but paranoia about alleged outside influences had a negative effect on the team. Some of this was Arteta’s fault.
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But with their big rivals Liverpool and Manchester City not at their best, and Arsenal looking formidable, Arteta will surely be adding something major to the Emirates trophy cabinet.
And if they once again fail to deliver, the blame will fall squarely on the manager.
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