Arsenal: Arteta is silencing doubters after 2-0 win

This isn’t Arsenal. This isn’t what took to the pitch against Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City. This is something different. Something new, something fresh and something developing. This feels unerringly like Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Every step of this nine match unbeaten run has been questioned extensively. Deep dives into whether or not fortune has been on the team’s side, or if they’ve merely edged matches as a result of the opposition being bland.

Has a corner actually been turned? Yes the results have been positive, but it’s only Norwich and Burnley. Arsenal saw off Tottenham in superb fashion but that was just an anomaly. Aston Villa were brushed aside but they too were well below their best level.

Leicester was the litmus test. The biggest indicator yet whether or not this was an Arsenal side taking positive strides or merely plodding along at an unsustainable rate.

Mikel Arteta is starting to silence the doubters after Arsenal went nine games unbeaten with a 2-0 Premier League win over Leicester

It would appear to be the former. This is a true marker of progression.

What has changed? One can’t look further than the personnel. Since Arteta had full control of his squad, one unhindered by suspensions or absences, his team have not lost a football match. That is the simple fact.

Asking for patience from supporters who had witnessed Sead Kolasianc and Calum Chambers inspired defences and a strikeforce fronted by an untested 20-year-old, now he’s had control and time on the training pitch he is beginning to make his mark. This is as close to what he has wanted, both in squad and style; most encouraging of all, each performance seems to better its predecessor. Tottenham outdone by Aston Villa, and so on.

There have been blips and there will be more. This is not a finished team destined for European qualification. Arteta made that abundantly clear post-match where he stressed that nothing has been achieved.

"“We need to carry on. We haven’t done anything – we won a couple of matches and we want to improve,” he told BT Sport. “There are a lot of positives but there are a lot of things to improve.”"

Arsenal are improving in every aspect: build-up is faster, spells of pressure are producing goals and the steel of the defence is the best seen under the manager. With his full complement of players the signs are there that a corner has, indeed, been turned. The confidence within the group and the belief in the man leading them is taking Arsenal in the right direction: up the Premier League table.

Arteta is starting to silence his doubters. It’s taken far longer than it should have, granted, but his ideas are being instilled into his players and the result is a more fluid, solid and well-rounded unit. The togetherness off the pitch transfers onto it.

For the first time on this run supporters can see the plan in motion. Heading to a direct rival’s home patch and leaving with a clean sheet and three points strongly suggests Arsenal are on the right path. It’s a long road, and the fixtures coming up pose daunting hurdles, but it’s the right one.