Arsenal are top of the Premier League. For the first time in 2024, Mikel Arteta's men are at the summit. They didn't get there the easy way.
Kai Havertz's late winner over Brentford had more than a touch of Reiss Nelson vs Bournemouth about it. The emotional rollercoaster during the game had similar peaks and troughs.
Ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool battling it out in the headline fixture of the weekend, Arsenal did their bit. Battling the emotions that came with Aaron Ramsdale's horror mistake right on half time to level the match against the run of play, the Gunners had to dig mightily deep for this.
Declan Rice's opener felt like it came weeks earlier by the time full-time was signalled at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but after dominant victories and a procession of goals in recent matches, battling through to three points in north London will be even sweeter.
As Arsenal proved their credentials once more, and in a totally different way, here's how the next five fixtures stack up with the rest of the top three.
Hardly the ideal game first up after the international break, but Arsenal will be looking to do the double over the reigning champions when they meet at the Etihad Stadium in three weeks time. Having fallen short by five points last year whilst losing both fixtures against City, Arteta knows more than most just how important the games against those at the top are.
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