Arsenal are right in the Premier League title race this season. With two more matches until the Premier League takes a break for the World Cup, the Gunners could sit proudly atop the pile heading into the big tournament in Qatar this winter.
Mikel Arteta's side have a two-point cushion over Manchester City in second place and know that two more wins before the break will ensure they are top of the table at Christmas. And that, in normal seasons, is an enviable place to be, although much this year will depend on what happens during the World Cup and the fitness of the players in the run-in.
Things will not be easy though, with trips to London rivals Chelsea and Wolves to come before the break for the World Cup. And they have already had to overcome an expected points deficit to lead their rivals.
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However, given the fifth-place finish last season, everything has been rosy so far for the Gunners and Arteta has overseen a massive improvement. That has come with help from another impressive transfer window of course, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira joining the club in the summer as more than £100million was spent for the second summer transfer window in a row.
That spend pales in comparison to what Manchester City have spent building their team for Pep Guardiola though. And proves what an excellent job Arteta is doing in north London.
According to the CIES Football Observatory, City have named the most expensive team in the top five European leagues so far this season. They did so during their game with Brighton & Hove Albion, with their starting XI totalling €726million (£624.8million) in transfer fees.
Their cheapest team also dwarfs every other other top five European league team at €538million (£463million) - €186million (£160million) more than Manchester United's cheapest XI.
Arsenal on the other hand, put out a €398million (£342.5million) team against Crystal Palace in August. Arteta played €346million (£297.8million) worth of talent against Fulham later on that month, giving the Gunners and average starting lineup spend of €382million (£328.9million).
City's average transfer spend starting lineup stands at €605million (£520.9million), just the €223million (£192million) more than Arteta's. So, while money does help, it does not necessarily get you everything, although that may well turn out to be the case come the end of the season, as Arteta and Arsenal attempt to hold City off in the title race.
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