Arsenal are top of the league and the feel-good factor is back at the Emirates Stadium.

Ten games this season in all competitions, eight wins, only one defeat and an impressive seven clean sheets – conceding only once from open play.

But can they stay at the summit? And who might they bring in this season to help their bid for a first Premier League title since 2004? We put out the call for your questions and dozens of you pitched in.

What can we expect from Arsenal in January? 

Arsenal are expecting a quiet January window after a summer splurge of around £250million on eight players.

Their strength in depth, as well as injuries, has seen the likes of Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie barely feature with the club mindful of the strength in depth they already possess and the need to utilise all their players.

Though the situation around Gabriel Jesus is an intriguing one. The Brazilian forward has not featured since suffering an ACL injury against Manchester United in January and is edging towards full fitness for the New Year.

It’s understood that the Gunners are open to offers for Jesus in January, with his contract expiring in the summer of 2027. Arsenal have much power in their frontline, and Kai Havertz still to return.

In terms of outgoings, the likes of Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior and Albert Sambi Lokonga have already been shifted out over the summer on permanent or loan deals.

Selling Jesus – who set the Emirates alight when he first arrived from Manchester City in 2022 before a succession of agonising injuries – for the right money would far supersede all those deals.

When is Martin Odegaard expected to return from his knee injury? 

Arsenal are waiting for the swelling on Odegaard’s knee to go down before conducting further scans to assess how long he will be out for. The club are highly mindful of not rushing back a player who has now sustained three injuries in less than two months.

He had two separate injuries to his right shoulder earlier this season — against Nottingham Forest and Leeds — before being forced off against West Ham after a knee-on-knee clash. It made him the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts, and none of it was really his fault.

It’s desperately bad luck for the Arsenal captain, who put in a man of the match display last Wednesday against Olympiacos in the Champions League, and had to pull out of the current international break, when Norway face a crucial World Cup qualifier at home to Israel and a friendly against New Zealand.

Stale Solbakken’s side are in pole position to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, having won all five of their qualifiers so far and topping a group that also includes Italy.

Odegaard, captain of his country, is just as a pivotal player for Mikel Arteta. They might have better depth to cope with his absence this season, but the Gunners will still be nervously sweating on those scans.

After the international break, Arteta’s side travel to Fulham – a bogey ground in recent seasons – host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, then play this season’s upstarts Crystal Palace.

How would you assess the form of Viktor Gyokeres?

It’s an interesting question. The £55m striker has just three goals and no assists across 10 appearances this season, after netting 54 goals in 52 matches in the previous campaign for Sporting Lisbon and Sweden.

But Arteta is pleased with the striker. After the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over West Ham, he said: ‘I just went there and hugged him and said thank you because the work that he does is unbelievable for the team.’

Some fans are grumbling about his lack of output in terms of goals and how he has gone missing in some matches, like the Premier League opener against Manchester United, but he does bring more to the table than this.

Sources close to Arsenal point to how in previous seasons, opponents would stick two players on Bukayo Saka, which would free up others in the frontline. Now, because of his brute strength and ability to pull defenders out of position with direct runs, it is Gyokeres that is often being doubled up on, which is helping the team more broadly.

It’s understood that if it weren’t for Kai Havertz’s injury, the German would have started the campaign as Arsenal’s No 9, not Gyokeres.

The 27-year-old was identified as someone who needed time to bed into a new league, system and environment, but has been forced to learn on the fly without a rest, as there are no real alternatives to start in his place, especially given Arsenal’s tricky fixture list to start the season.

Arteta’s thoughts on the striker are mirrored by Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was this week more direct in his thoughts.

‘If people say he doesn’t have an impact (on matches), then they don’t understand football and don’t have a clue about football,’ he said. ‘He creates space for other players, works on the ball and makes runs.’

It goes without saying that Gyokeres does need to score more goals — that is his main role, and one he fulfilled so well at Sporting. He still has time.

Any truth in the rumours about Arsenal signing Man United wonderkid JJ Gabriel?

After United’s capture of talented ex-Arsenal youngsters Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi, the topic of revenge is inevitable.

The 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel has taken youth football by storm, resulting in interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’ for his exceptional dribbling and technical skill, he has scored seven Under 18 goals this season in six appearances.

His ascent has been likened to fellow 15-year-old Max Dowman, who has managed to get first-team minutes at Arsenal and is on track to be a superstar.

The Gunners are aware of Gabriel – but reports of concrete interest are premature. During the summer, Gabriel committed his short-term future to United until at least his 16th birthday in a year’s time, and the earliest point he could sign his first professional contract is in the summer of 2027. It would then come into effect in October of that year when he turns 17.

United are desperate to keep Gabriel and see him as a future superstar — so much so that reports suggest he has been offered a box at the new Old Trafford which is set to open in 2030.

What is the latest on Bukayo Saka’s contract?

A new contract for Saka is sporting director Andrea Berta’s most pressing priority.

This summer, Berta has already sorted new long-term deals for Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Magalhaes, Myles Lewis-Skelly and William Saliba. He has also agreed pay rises for David Raya and Leandro Trossard, and is in early talks with Jurrien Timber, whose deal runs until the summer of 2028.

Yet it is the situation of Saka which has been the most complex — and is now nearing its conclusion. Initial discussions between the club and Saka’s representatives took place at the start of the year over a new contract that would make him the club’s top earner and cover the 24-year-old’s peak years.

He has just under two years left on his current contract and Arsenal have been understandably keen to ensure the new deal is sorted as soon as possible, so they do not enter a situation like Liverpool did with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate. 

It’s understood that there is an absolute confidence at the club that Saka will sign new terms. It’s a matter of when, not if.

Why has Leandro Trossard started the last three Premier League matches?

With the riches Arsenal possess in attacking options, the Belgian’s presence in the starting line-up has been a surprise to many, particularly after Gabriel Martinelli had come off the bench to score pivotal goals against Athletic Bilbao and Manchester City.

The answer lies in his output. Prior to this season, under Arteta no player had played more games for Arsenal across all competitions than Trossard (132).

During that time, he had registered 53 goals involvements (30 goals, 23 assists), a total only bettered by Saka (43 goals, 31 assists).

He’s a tried and tested man under the Spaniard, a player he has a lot of trust in.

He won’t start week in, week out, but will continue to be in the mix for selection.

That will likely be impacted, though, when Noni Madueke returns – Trossard will likely find starts in the League harder to come by.

How do you think Arsenal are doing?

They have started this campaign on the right foot, and already navigated difficulties. 

There was the ‘handbrake’ approach against Man City which so nearly cost Arsenal, before Martinelli saved the day, and a last-gasp Gabriel winner against Newcastle in a game the Gunners should have put away earlier on.

Yet they have gone into this international break arguably the happiest team in the league, as table-toppers, and marked by many as strong title favourites. Overall, they are in a strong position to mount another challenge for that elusive Premier League crown.

The tests going forward will be: getting more goals out of Gyokeres, killing off games earlier by taking chances and not being afraid to field a less conservative line-up against the stronger sides.

But all in all, Arsenal fans should be excited.

Where will Piero Hincapie fit in when he returns from injury?

The Ecuador international made his Arsenal debut in stoppage time against Athletic Bilbao, but has not featured since after suffering a minor groin injury.

Arteta confirmed the defender will be available after the international break, as he looks to impress the Gunners while on loan with an option to buy. The 23-year-old, who won the Bundesliga unbeaten with parent club Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, has a long road to feature much for Arsenal this season, though.

Riccardo Calafiori has the left back spot nailed down, with Myles Lewis-Skelly his highly able deputy. Gabriel is the first choice left-sided centre back.

So Hincapie will have to bide his time. When further injuries inevitably do arise, he will have to be ready to hit the ground running.