ARSENAL’S new “fab five” have delivered for Mikel Arteta since their Middle East break.
And now the quintet can fire the Gunners to their first title since Arsene Wenger’s 2004 “Invincibles”.
The Emirates outfit’s Prem hopes appeared to be disintegrating in a miserable spell over Christmas.
Arsenal suffered back to back defeats by West Ham and Fulham and went out of the FA Cup against Liverpool before they headed to their Dubai training camp.
But since returning from the desert, Arteta’s men have kicked up a Prem storm with seven straight wins that have brought 31 goals.
Fans say the same thing as Scott Parker earns shock move to Champions League
And the key has been a dramatic improvement in form and impact by Arsenal’s five key attacking players.
Over the past two months, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have scored 17 goals between them and also clocked up 11 assists.
By contrast, in the first 19 games of the Prem campaign, the quintet managed 19 goals and 12 assists, in a significant drop-off from their form last term.
Now, though, all five are flying - and giving Arsenal the cutting edge that can really make a difference.
Saka is the joint top scorer in the Prem in 2024, with his seven goal tally matched only by Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Having notched up a combined 12 goals and assists in the first half of the campaign, he is just one short of double figures since the turn of the year, recording a stunning 1.29 goal or assist contribution every match.
In fact, all five of Arteta’s aces have at least DOUBLED their output in 2024 compared to their statistics up to December 31.
Add in Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice also coming to the party more regularly than in the first half of the season and Arsenal’s rebound is no surprise.
England star Rice has scored twice and created four goals in 2024, more than doubling the combined tally of four in his initial 19 Prem games in an Arsenal shirt.
Mikel Arteta told what could derail title bid - "They'd struggle to replace him"
And Belgian Trossard, who scored four goals before the end of 2023, has found the net three more times since then.
It is a stunning upturn which has helped transform the title race into a genuine three-horse contest.
Arsenal will go top at the end of this weekend if they beat Brentford on Saturday and Liverpool and Manchester City draw at Anfield on Sunday.
ARSENAL NEWS LIVE: Stay up to date with all the latest transfer news from the Emirates
