Arsenal’s win at Fulham might not have been pretty, but given Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United yesterday, you won’t find many complaints around the Emirates this morning.
Having come through a gruelling start to the season – trips to Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle, plus a home clash with Manchester City – few would have predicted a three-point cushion at the top of the table by this stage.
After three consecutive runners-up finishes, there’s a growing sense this could finally be Arsenal’s year. A side that’s grown up together is now showing the maturity to grind through challenges, anchored by a defence that looks as solid as any in Europe.
Arteta, though, isn’t getting carried away.
Reflecting on Saturday’s win ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid, [he said](https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-artetas-pre-atletico-presser):
“I’m very happy obviously and especially after international breaks when you know that you have to again align and regroup everybody and you could tell that in the first 10 minutes that we were a bit still getting that rhythm, but afterwards I think watching the game back that we deserved to win the game.
“There are things to improve, but we take the win and we move on now for the Champions League match.”
Victory at Craven Cottage – following wins over Newcastle and West Ham – means the Gunners have already made up eight points on their equivalent tally from last season. Having drawn 14 games last term, there’s a clear focus on turning stalemates into statement wins.
On learning from past mistakes, Arteta said: “Well we have to obviously get as much information as we can and understand the reasons why we dropped certain points there and then try to implement them.
“But, to be fair, sometimes from a draw to a win there are details and things that have to go your way, but it’s true that the team shows a different kind of maturity, threat and probably conviction at this stage.
“But’s still very early, we have to do it now for another 30 games and that’s going to be the objective.”
Unsurprisingly, the bookmakers have installed Arsenal as favourites for the title. Asked whether he welcomes the challenge of leading from the front, Arteta replied:
“The only thing that I embrace is when I see the team, the energy, the temperature, the commitment and the quality that they can deliver — that gives me that conviction that we can go all the way but that’s it, that’s just a feeling.
“Then the next day you have to prove it, the next training session you have to prove it and nothing else and we cannot be busy thinking about those topics.”
That relentless focus was summed up perfectly by William Saliba, who was spotted watching Atletico Madrid’s 1–0 win over Osasuna on his iPad as the team bus left Craven Cottage.
“I’m very pleased because I didn’t encourage it, so it came from them and that’s the most powerful thing — that a game finishes, the job is done and we’ve done it but now what’s next and what’s the next challenge, what’s the next opportunity, and we know that it’s going to be a really tough one, so the earlier we start to think about it and prepare the better.
“I love that initiative from the players and it tells you how much they want it and how focused they are on what is next.”