Arsenal would not be top of the league without the vision, execution and coaching quality of Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has been the spearhead of the club’s revival and is the critical reason behind the rapid upturn in the club’s fortunes.
Since the Gunners' last league title in 2004, they have been outperformed and outspent by a number of teams but perhaps none more so than Chelsea. Roman Abramovich’s arrival which was then compounded by the takeover at Manchester City was potentially the worst thing that could have befallen the club.
Moving to a new ground, facing financial restrictions and players like Patrick Vieira moving on with Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp reaching the end of their time at the club was bad enough. Chelsea though, coming to the fore in the way they did, signing Ashley Cole and going on to become the most successful club in England over the next near-two decades was horrific timing.
