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Arsenal have proven why they've turned a corner under Mikel Arteta, not once, not twice, but on four separate occasions. The Gunners have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, establishing a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The north London outfit had some difficult opening fixtures; they kicked off their campaign with a trip to Old Trafford before locking horns with Liverpool at Anfield. By the end of September, Arsenal had also faced Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

While the Gunners only won four points from a possible nine, they showed how far they've really come in their other fixtures. Last term, Arsenal dropped crucial points in the title race, and they essentially gifted Arne Slot's side a free run at the Premier League trophy.

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The north Londoners lost 1-0 to Newcastle United at St. James' Park and 1-0 to West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal were also held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage and a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace on home turf.

From said fixtures, Arteta's side claimed just two points from a possible 12. This season, however, against the same opposition, the Gunners won each of the four games, taking home every point on offer.

Arsenal enjoyed a 2-1 away win over Newcastle, a 2-0 home win over West Ham, a 1-0 away win over Fulham, and a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace. Had the Gunners not turned a corner under Arteta, they would've missed out on eight points and fallen out of the top eight.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, the Spaniard commented on the title race. Arteta said: "I think when our people are excited and when we see that the team is competing at the level, consistently, they are the right reasons to believe, and that's the main thing.

"You want to win big trophies, you certainly have to install that feeling amongst the team, the club and around it, and we're in a really good position at the moment, but we know how early it is and how difficult every game is."

A few days prior, after defeating Crystal Palace, Arteta was asked about the importance of going six points clear of Manchester City, who are currently fifth. Only Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth separate Pep Guardiola's side from Arsenal.

"We are where we are," said the Gunners boss. "It’s a credit to us because we’ve been very consistent, but knowing the difficulty of every match as well.

"It is early, so it doesn’t mean anything other than let’s keep doing a lot of things that we’re doing really well, but there are things to improve to give us better margins as well."