The past week has provided compelling evidence that Arsenal might just be capable of clinching both domestic and European titles this season. The reason lies not in the teams they defeated—Tottenham and Bayern Munich—but in their approach to these victories. Arsenal dismantled Spurs and unsettled Bayern, whose star player Joshua Kimmich later suggested the Gunners relied heavily on set pieces and long balls.

These matches showcased two distinct strategies tailored to beat very different opponents, with Arsenal holding 57% possession against Tottenham and only 40% against Bayern. This adaptability marks a shift for Mikel Arteta, who hasn’t been particularly known for such flexibility during his six-year tenure. Coupled with significant investment in new talent, Arsenal is now a team to be feared across Europe.

Arteta’s tactical acumen this week drew comparisons to Pep Guardiola, whose own pragmatic style often goes unnoticed. However, while both share a strategic approach to the game, Arsenal’s current momentum sets them apart. Unlike the common belief that Manchester City cruised to league titles, the truth is often more complex, revealing how perception can distort memory.

How Arteta engineered his way through this week bore some resemblance to Pep Guardiola, whose more pragmatic tendencies have often been overlooked during his decade here.

But having watched City complete the Treble two years ago, that is where the similarities end for now — largely because Arsenal have started like a train. The misconception around City has been that they romped to league titles yet the reality is somewhat different. The mind often plays tricks with the public’s recall.

Mikel Arteta should believe Arsenal can win the Premier League and Champions League

The Gunners are rampant and have shown their tactical flexibility in the past week

It is exceptionally rare that City have ever been six points clear at the end of November. The only time was in the record-breaking Centurions campaign of 2017-18 and they’ve only led the way once in the past six seasons at this stage (Guardiola’s all-time numbers: -1, +8, +2, -9, -3, -3, -1, +1, -8, -7).

Of Guardiola’s 10 years, just three of them saw City top after 12 matches. In the Treble year, they were a point adrift of Arsenal and with a home defeat by Brentford to absorb. Only two of their titles were runaway jobs but one of those, 2020-21, saw them seventh and three points behind. They ended up winning by 12 points, the first of four consecutive crowns.

You never really saw it coming with City and only once was a successful campaign truly telegraphed before Christmas, albeit Liverpool dumped them out of the Champions League en route to the final. That ought to serve as a warning to Arsenal, that plundering the league doesn’t necessarily translate to Europe.

Pundits never seemed to learn with City. Social media’s bin fire and the shouty radio stations always rushed to proclaim that this was it, the year it would collapse. False dawns for the chasing pack until 2024, when injuries mounted and the desire evaporated.

Before then and amid damaging defeats, there was always a calm around Guardiola that they would start motoring and that title win in 2021 was down to 15 straight wins. It can be no coincidence that they reached a first Champions League final at the end of that season.

Going past a Borussia Dortmund team with Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, sweeping aside Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, is what momentum generated by league form does for you and what City have always traded on.

Arteta’s task is to keep it going, find new ways of relentlessly ticking off games, and that doesn’t feel like it will be particularly easy from this far out.

But they should heed the warnings from City and Liverpool – who have both fallen in Europe despite running away with the Premier League

They have been in commanding situations before and fallen away and there also exists a lack of winning experience. That will be at the forefront of Arteta’s mind and it would be strange if it weren’t.

Stumbling in the league appears less likely this time, though, with added resolve and more quality in the squad. Logic suggests it should not happen and they ought to end the long wait for league glory — 22 years, their longest title drought since winning their first in 1931.

Whether that translates to Europe is another matter entirely, even having invested in the requisite tools to scale heights few have managed. The difficulties and obstacles which lie ahead only serve to illustrate the monumental achievements of Liverpool, Manchester United and City.