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Arsenal have been title contenders before, only to falter. After ten gameweeks of 2026-27, the evidence suggests Arteta's side have finally solved the consistency problem.
Arsenal supporters have been here before. Top of the table in November, full of belief, daring to dream — and then the wheels come off at Christmas. It happened in 2022-23. It nearly happened in 2023-24. But ten gameweeks into the 2026-27 season, there are concrete reasons to believe Mikel Arteta has finally built a squad capable of going the full distance.
For years, Arsenal's Achilles heel was their inability to rotate effectively. When injuries hit — and they always did — the drop in quality was stark. This summer's business addressed that directly. The signing of a proven central midfielder from Atletico Madrid has given Arteta a genuine option when Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard need rest. At centre-back, the depth that was once a concern now looks like a genuine strength, with four internationals capable of playing in a back four or three.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been in irresistible form. Saka has contributed seven goals and six assists in his ten appearances — a direct goal contribution every 1.3 games — while Martinelli's eight goal involvements from the left channel have stretched defences in ways that create corridors for Kai Havertz through the middle. The German striker, whose form was inconsistent in his first two Arsenal seasons, looks a different player: decisive, mobile, and operating at the kind of level that justifies his price tag.
Arsenal have conceded just seven goals in ten Premier League games, the joint-best record in the division alongside Manchester City. David Raya has been commanding in goal, and the partnership at centre-back has the communication and positional discipline that characterised Arsenal's best defensive periods under George Graham. They are not just pressing high — they are defending low blocks effectively, something that was a visible weakness two seasons ago.
December will tell us much. Arsenal face City, Liverpool, and Chelsea in a six-week stretch alongside their Europa League knockout rounds. The mental resilience required to stay top through that period is different from what any squad can demonstrate through ten home-and-away fixtures. Arteta knows the template. The question, as always, is execution when it matters most.
Arsenal are genuine title contenders — not just hopefuls. The squad is deeper, the system more flexible, and the manager more experienced. If they can avoid the injury crises that derailed previous campaigns, the 2026-27 title is theirs to lose.
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