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There's no reason for any Arsenal fan to not be happy going into Christmas, at least with respect to how their club is performing week in, week out.
Arsenal's rise to the top of the Premier League table has involved a few really smart purchases, as well as some wins at tough grounds, like the most recent triumph over Everton.
Regardless, these are the sort of games that essentially win these top teams league titles. Arsenal have not been at their best, especially against Everton, and more concerningly, Wolves, but they have exited the pitch with three points, which is all that counts at the moment.
However, there is one thing that people should be keen about. Something that fans should know about.
Arsenal’s current league position hides an uncomfortable pattern
Arsenal have never won the league title after being at the top of the Premier League table at Christmas. This win over Everton made sure that the Gunners were going into Christmas day at the summit.
Obviously, these are just coincidences and supersititons, but it is still interesting to note.
Most recently, Arsenal were at the top of the league table in the 2023-24 season at Christmas, but by the end of the season, Manchester City were able to snatch the league title from them.
It was the same in 2022-23, when Manchester City won - again. Before that, it happened on two more occasions, in the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons.
Things are also different, and people have to note that. In the two most recent seasons where this happened, Arsenal happened to go up against the best version of Manchester City anyone has ever seen, especially in 2023, when they won the treble.
Arsenal had a few bottling moments, but this version of Arsenal is better in every position, deeper in every position and more stable overall, too.
They are not perfect - far from it - they still need to figure out goalscoring, they still need to start winning some games more convincingly, but things are just different.
These players, who have been there for a few seasons, must have learned a lot from those experiences. They must be using that as a chip on their shoulders to win the trophy they have been so close to winning for a few seasons.
There is still a very long time to go, and Manchester City (even Aston Villa) are not far behind, so the margin of error is minimal. However, Arsenal look better this season, and that is simply what they have to be to win the league.