After these many games its great! We are 8 points ahead of Tottenham with a game in hand. They are going to Brentford and hosting Villa and away at a London derby at Selhurst park before they play us. They will likely drop points and make it officially double digits behind us by game time.

Man Utd have 23 points to our 37 and they have a game in hand. They win it and its still 11 points behind. They are at Fulham who may be tough for them to beat, home to Forest and away to Wolves, those are tough game s to leave with all the points. Chelsea are in 8th now, same number of games, 16 points behind. Tottenham, Newcastle and I'd say Liverpool are the top 4 challengers. I'd put more money on Liverpool making more of a threat week in, week out than Man Utd. More than a third of the season gone and its beyond our wildest expectations in pre-season.

Lets enjoy it and hope it lasts.

The only game we’ve got more than we probably deserved from it was the 3 points at Leeds. On the balance of play and chances Leeds deserved a point there. But every other game we’ve dominated more than enough to deserve our victory. And in the two games we dropped points we could point to a decisive early var decision v Man U and a ref in the saints game who refused to give us a penalty and properly punish some fouls by Southampton.

Compare that to the rest….

This is an interesting interview with Jack Wilshire about being the coach of the under 18's at Arsenal. He's more composed than i remember.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIgco8RwwEA

Great win yesterday. I was a little anxious how they would perform a week before the start of the World Cup (absolutely ridiculous situation) but credit to the team who after a slow start grew into the game and thoroughly deserved the victory. What an unbelievable start to the season. Who knows what will happen after the World Cup but if the Kroenke's are serious about Arsenal, they must further stregnthen the team in January.

Enjoy the great Dowse of Dartford after our loss at Farnborough!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRMjiCzMlUA

We’ve only played 6 at home, 8 away. All of City, spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle have played 8 at home.
We have a 100% record at home.
We have a 7 point lead if just away games count

Also saw yesterday that City have only played two games against the big six, winning one. We've played four, winning three. Don't think there's any argument to be made about our easy schedule anymore. Even if you add the postponed game against City and we lose that one, we're still top of the league.

I think the average age of our team is going completely under the radar. You do occasionally see the average age table for each team but I don’t see it mentioned much when pundits talk about how well we’re playing.

If we finished runner up, I'd be happy as pie. If we make it close, I'd be happier. I dare not think about a title until March if we are very close or still ahead and its after we have played most of the top 6.

Normally, you aren't this far ahead of the top 6 (City aside) this early. We are in an excellent position. Great season to build on if we maintain, stay healthy and buy wisely so we have back ups in key areas.

There’s a landmark for me that we need to pass for me to start to dream of being champions and that’s even if City win all of their remaining games it’s out of their hands. Atm, as tenuous as this is, because we have to play City twice if they win all of their games they will finish top. Psychologically, for me at least, being able to lose to them twice and still be clear would be huge. We might not get that of course and we could still win by a point, but for City that stat of it NOT being in their hands, arbitrary as it is, would be significant I think. Bit more time and see where we are halfway. But I’m a few steps away from thinking we might actually win this thing.

To push on in January and keep our “league winning momentum” that we undeniably have at the moment we need a few things.

One is Partey coming back fit. He’s come back from internationals before looking off the pace and you can totally foresee that here. But if Ghana don’t go too far, he can meet up with the squad in Dubai and play a friendly or two I think he’ll be grand.

Two, squad additions. Of most importance is Partey, I don’t know even the first thing about Danilo but he seems like the choice to fill Partey’s role. Secondly Mudryk or whoever to fill in across the front three. If we got Mudryk or someone to play both wings, could Martinelli play through the middle for Jesus if needed? The striker one is more difficult and I think we need Eddie to step it up ala end of last season and Jesus to stay available for as much as possible.

Vieira coming in for the Xhaka role yesterday was huge and he had a poor first half but a great second half in moments and the crucial first goal break though. He hopefully can have something of a preseason over Christmas and start to really add to this squad.

Lastly everyone staying fit for every game!!!

All those things and we win it.

1)Partey comes back fit.
2) midfielder and a winger in.
3) Vieira and Eddie step up.
4) not too many injuries.

*Honourable mention to contract extensions to Saliba Saka and Martinelli.

If we get most of those things, we win this, we go into champions league as champions and this project officially goes supernova.

Ash I think that’s premature thinking mate. It’s only logical to get excited but I’m trying to contain my excitement personally

We’re doing superbly but could finish first or fifth it’s still to early.

Like I said last week. January mate, Newcastle, Tottenham, united. If we are still top after those 3 consecutive fixtures I will believe. If we get past 20 games played and we’re top then anything is possible

Yeah, I’m not quite there yet, but I can see it wouldn’t take much for me to get there. Re my second post if we get those things and we’re still top end of Jan, I’ll be there with bells on.

There’s nothing wrong with it. if you can’t enjoy things right now you never will. In the later wenger years I stopped going to the Arsenal because I got so fed up with the mismanagement, I never thought I’d be back going to every home game like I am. Loving the football right now

On your 2nd post I’d suggest 2 things are key. keeping players fit without injury is critical but I think we need a new signing in January to play in the front 3. Without that I don’t really think we will avoid a situation last year when we ran out of steam. Just a feeling

Also ffs put Fabio Vieira on a non stop diet of steak and kidney pudding and chips served with pints of shepherds neame bishops finger and tell him hit the gym.

The football intelligence is there but he needs to bulk up. I don’t think it’s a Pépé situation but he’s not quite doing it

Fifth would be disastrous from where we are. That usually means somewhere around or slightly below 70 points, which would mean maybe 32-33 points in our remaining 24 games, that's midtable form for an extended period.

I still make Man City favorites for the league, but I'd be disappointed if we finish worse than 2nd place. Tottenham are mediocre, Chelsea and Man Utd rubbish, Liverpool is really the only team apart from Man City I could consider better than us but they've given us a 15 point cushion.

I was really surprised when he came on as the replacement for Xhaka. I would have instinctively thought of Elneny at that point. It kind of worked out though. It should have been a good development game for Vieira.

Willian has done more running and put in more effort in this one game for Fulham than he did his entire stint with us.

Prediction: Cristiano will be in a LA Galaxy or an Inter Miami kit within 18 months.

D@mn it!

Literally the last kick of the frigging game. Doh!

jammy spurs, and now manure. *&&^%^

These last minute winners are getting ridiculous - especially for teams who haven’t been dominating the game and knocking on the door for ages.
Spurs, Man U, Liverpool, City and Chelsea have all had 90+ minute goals to win games.
Shows how far ahead we’ve been with performances this season as we haven’t needed those late goals to rescue wins for us.

It’s annoying though because I want as much distance as possible and even though it’s 10+ points to some of these teams the relative performances feel like that gap should be much bigger

I saw a picture of Emile Smith Rowe recently and it seems he’s been on a bulking up diet.
With Vieira, Arteta noted it had been difficult because he carried an injury and didn’t get the full pre season. I think that is a big thing for players. Arteta said this month + break with the training and friendly games we’ve organised will do him the world of good. If he can step up in the second half of the season as well as us making a couple of shrewd signings then you never know what might happen

Manure aren't rubbish. They are consistently winning games and they are a threat.

I mean, they haven't won two games in a row since early september, and several of their wins (including today) were thoroughly undeserved. They're only a threat to us if our level drops considerably.

If we win our home games v West Ham, Brentford, B'mouth, Palace, Leeds, Saints, Brighton, Wolves, Everton (ie: all homes games not v the big 6 + newcastle) That is another 27 points which puts us on 64 points

Then if you took wins away v the bottom half of the league (villa, everton, Leicester, west ham, Forest) that is another 15 points which takes us to 79 points which will be easily enough for top 4.

So 14 more wins from the remaining 24 games all against teams no higher than 7th.

Then we would probably need to find a further 4 wins from the rest to be very very close to winning the title.

All a lot of ifs and buts, but we've put ourselves in a great position with the consistency

We've got a defining January but so have City, and I think they'll sneak our home game v City at the end of these tough runs for both teams.

A couple of issues that could dictate how we end up: I want Man City to go all the way to the CL final and hope they get a couple of difficult draws on the way. Like wise it would probably suit us better if Man U continued into the later rounds of Europa. The distraction that is Europe can make the EPL difficult.

And before you say anything about us in Europe, I think we need to make a difficult decision early in the new year. If we start after the WC all guns blazing and maintain momentum in the league I would be prepared to play a totally second team in Europa and if we exit we exit as long as the league form continues. I would play good teams in the FA Cup.

Would I strengthen in January: yes, Partey cover and a Xhaka cover. Viera may get there, the skill set is good going forward but can quickly recover to defend. A lot of people talk about Tielmanns but one of the podcasts (maybe Arsenal Vision) did a lot of reviews on him pre season and what they found was he was really good with the ball going forward but he was basically terrible if we lost possession. If Arteta has formed a similar opinion that is never going to work as defensive abilities are high on his tick list even for players like Martenelli and Jesus. The other player I would like to see is another forward to cover Jesus. But I have no idea of names in that space. I have wondered about a cheeky low bid for Raphina who on all accounts is a dud at Barca. All these players would fit nicely into the Europa second team and strengthen it as well as providing cover.

One last matter, goalkeeper cover. It appears to me that no one is actually a good back up. I know I am biased but Matt Ryan has lost his place at his club and I think he would be a cheap and reliable second keeper who may have no problem with the role.

What were Fulham doing, 4v4 at the back in the 93rd minute of a tight match.
‘If you can’t win it make sure you don’t lose it’

OK, I'll say it - "Well played England!" We love you Buttler...

That Gazpacho kid looks alright doesn’t he

That's a huge ask Rich. There will be home games against seemingly weaker opposition but it may come after a hard fought, energy draining Europa league of FA cup tie.

We look great at home though. I want to see how we do away to the big six. If we get a draw most of the time (hopefully an occasional win) and limit the loss to 1 or 2 at most (City/Liverpool), winning away to Chelsea was huge. Drawing at worse at Tottenham will be good obviously and we are capable of a win but its an NLD so.... lol. A draw at City will feel like a victory. Away to Liverpool will be tricky. Depends on which Liverpool team we catch. If were to play at Old Trafford now we'd do no worse than a draw.

Speaking of which, they use Martial and Rashford on long balls very effectively. They have nice size and are fast and can shrug off the bumps from central defenders. They used to perfection against us. We were able to neutralize it against Chelsea and Aubameyang.

Ronaldo’s interview last night will be poured over by the press. Sadly I think it will just unite the fans and club around ten Hag even more. Ronaldo is pretty embarrassing, how he can say all of what he said without once looking in the mirror is pretty staggering?

I agree but it is good to see discord in a rival's ranks.

I urge Ronaldo to speak up even more and not hold back. unless he's a pussy. Call out some players by name plus coaching staff

A lot of what Ronaldo says and is complaining about is certainly true and it should be called out, things like the training facilities not being updated in 10 years. But everything else, the stuff about the manager not respecting him is nonsense. He was the player who tried to engineer a move away from the club this summer (and had no takers), he was the player who reported back late after his summer break and he was the player who refused to be substituted on recently.

Some Man U fans will come out with the usual nonsense 'he's the goat, his standards are elite, he's an example to the youngsters...blah blah' The fact is the game has moved beyond him now. In the new(ish) era of the complete team ethic of the high press, acute tactical thinking and both being reliant on mobile, hard working intelligent forwards - the space for a selfish penalty box striker is fading

Ronaldo is an egotistical *%^@. Always has been, the moment he signed for united I said this would happen.

Just absurd that he’s throwing his toys out the pram and it will be interesting to see how they respond.

Agreed.
I recall Ferdinand telling stories of how if a player or former player said Messi was the better player he'd moan to Rio and try to call that person to ask them why. He cares for nothing but himself in a team game. He has craved individual glory over anything else his whole career.

With all the stick that CR7 has received on here how many of you wish that he signed for us before Man U snuck in and nicked him all those years ago You never know if these stories are true but it seems that’s the way it went
I think on balance I wish we’d signed
him

A great player in his prime and of course we’d want him but I kind of view him in the same way I think of Ibrahimovic in that if they had both joined they wouldn’t have hung around long at all.