Arsenal look to have fully put their injury and suspension-induced October-November struggles behind them as three comfortable wins in a row after the international break kick-start the season for Mikel Arteta. However, 13 matches in and last year's runners up are only level on points with Chelsea.
To suggest that would be the case back in August would have been met with laughter, most likely. It would have to be a serious Arsenal drop-off for that to have any chance.
As it is, Enzo Maresca has got his Chelsea side playing some excellent football and demonstrated just how much of a challenge they can pose when the two sides met last month. Pedro Neto's goal ensured a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge which was fitting for the game that had been played.
Now, with two more league fixtures gone, things are even tighter. In fact, after Arsenal demolished West Ham 5-2 on Saturday evening and Chelsea responded with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Aston Villa less than 24 hours later, there is nothing to split them.
The table, prior to Liverpool and Manchester City going head-to-head on Sunday, had Arsenal in second place but not via anything automatically clear. Chelsea, following a dominant win of their own, have the same number of points (25), as well as an equal goal difference (+12).
The next metric to decide the standings is goals scored. Arsenal were behind Chelsea by quite a distance when they visited SW6 four weeks ago but have now recorded 26 after hammering in eight in their last two matches. Chelsea can equal that, though, after Cole Palmer fired in a brilliant third against Villa.
At this stage the difference between the teams on paper is already negligible. The table must have 20 separate places somehow, and the next point of difference is widely thought to be goals conceded, that is not true, though. Regardless, Chelsea, with their third clean sheet of the season, didn't add to the 14 they have let in.
Maresca will be frustrated that it is even that high after Leicester's late penalty last weekend left a closer look on the scoreline than the game deserved. Arsenal, then, entered the weekend with a stronger defensive record but saw West Ham fire in twice before half-time to cut the deficit at the London Stadium.
That saw Arteta's men finish matchday 13 with 14 conceded as well. Across the board both teams are unseperated still. So what is it that has Arsenal ahead of Chelsea? Well, it is now down to head-to-head between the sides. That, though, was a draw. The number of away goals scored in the head-to-head matches is next.
This is the sixth measurement differential, and via Gabriel Martinelli's second half strike, has Arsenal above Chelsea. For now, Arsenal and Chelsea are actually deemed to occupy the same position in the table anyway.
However, should the season end like this and there is a league title, relegation (unlikely for these two), or qualification for another competition at stake, there would have to be a play-off match at a neutral ground to determine who came out on top, as the Premier League handbook states via rule C.17.2. For now, there are still 25 matches left to draw a clear line between the two. Right now, it is just a quirk of the numbers that things have come to this stage.
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