An easy ride? Fortunate with injuries, rivals’ form dipping, refereeing decisions going our way and even suggestions some teams haven’t taken Arsenal seriously.
You might have seen similar descriptions of the Gunners’ title-challenging season from pundits, commentators or perhaps just rival fans, while surfing social media or watching some analysis of the club’s campaign. Despite the current eight-point lead at the top, strong form and brilliantly aesthetically pleasing football, the Gunners continue to receive criticism and are labelled as somehow ‘lucky’ or 'fortunate' to be in the position they are.
We are, admittedly, a reactive bunch us Arsenal fans hence why you’re reading this and more importantly why I, a lifelong Gooner, am writing it in response to all of these frankly ludicrous suggestions. And they are just that, ludicrous, because when you consider the season Arsenal have had, not only have they been at times incredibly unfortunate but the process that has seen them rise to the head of the Premier League table is one deserving of massive credit.
