There is a quiet confidence at London Colney these days. Not arrogance - Mikel Arteta would never allow that - but the steady assurance of a group that believes it has found something special. Nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with games running out, and a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on the horizon. Arsenal are closing in on territory they have not occupied in decades.
The numbers are impressive, but they only tell part of the story. This is a team that has been built methodically, each season adding layers of quality and resilience until the final product looks close to complete.
The Foundation
Arteta's greatest achievement is not any single result or signing. It is the culture he has created. Arsenal defend as a unit, attack with purpose and recover from setbacks with a maturity that was entirely absent when he took charge. The days of late collapses and mental fragility feel like ancient history.
Declan Rice, whose contract extension earlier this year ended months of speculation, has been transformative in midfield. His ability to protect the back four while driving forward in possession gives Arsenal a balance that few teams in Europe can match. He is the engine that makes everything else work.
In front of him, the creative players have flourished. The movement, the combination play, the willingness to find spaces between the lines - it all points to a team that has internalised its manager's ideas so thoroughly that they have become instinctive.
The City Factor
Manchester City remain the only realistic threat, sitting nine points back with a game in hand. The head-to-head at the Etihad on April 19 was always going to be significant, and Arsenal's result there will have a major say in the final outcome.
But even if City win their game in hand and close the gap to six points, the mathematics still favour Arsenal heavily. With fewer than six games remaining, the Gunners need only steady results to secure their first league title since 2004. The invincible ghosts of that famous season must be smiling.
The Champions League Question
The other dimension to Arsenal's season is the Champions League. No English club has won the league and Champions League in the same season since Manchester United in 1999. Attempting it requires squad depth, tactical flexibility and the kind of mental fortitude that separates great teams from good ones.
Atletico Madrid will provide the ultimate test of those qualities. Simeone's side are masters of disruption, experts at making opponents uncomfortable. Arsenal will need to be at their very best across both legs to reach Budapest.
But this squad looks ready for the challenge. The depth is there, the belief is there, and the manager has shown throughout the season that he can adapt his approach to suit different opponents and situations. If any Arsenal side in the modern era is capable of achieving a historic double, it is this one.
The next six weeks will define a generation.