TO DO an Arsenal: The act of showing mental fragility. But things have changed. Arsenal began the season mourning Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri’s wandering-off acts; at this moment, other than Manchester City, they’re in the best form in England. Five goals against Chelsea the other weekend made eight wins in nine games every Arsenal fan’s favourite statistic. A win against West Brom last weekend outdid it with nine wins in eleven games.

Without Nasri and without Fabregas, the quality gap at Arsenal is deniable only by the manager, yet the wins are coming. After the Stamford Bridge snatch and grab, Arsène Wenger wheeled out some standard guff: ”We showed great spirit… we came out straight away with a complete desire to go forward.” He was right, though. His team aren’t running on quality. Rather, resilience – “spirit” and “desire” – is the remedy. Until now it had proven illusive enough to be given up on.

This form hasn’t come from fickle football. Wenger’s team have six wins in seven games (after a draw against Marseille which got them what they needed to top their Champions League group). None by more than three goals before West Brom. None for victories for expansive, attacking football. None for victories for neat triangles.

Five goals against Chelsea the other weekend made eight wins in nine games every Arsenal fan’s favourite statistic

Sunderland were beaten by a Robin van Persie free-kick and Marseille by a last-minute Aaron Ramsey strike. Stoke were undone by a Van Persie double; individual brilliance once more from a player in the form of his life. And Bolton were beaten by two goals in three minutes in the Carling Cup. Against Chelsea, John Terry let Van Persie in with a slip. Tight games are falling in Arsenal’s favour.

Arsenal: north London’s trendiest losers? Not against Chelsea. At a time when the jokes should be reaching a peak – when Jack Wilshere is injured and Fabregas is Barcelona’s second best player – nobody’s laughing at this Arsenal. It’s not luck; it’s force of will. Wenger’s new team are in games until the end, when wins come cheaper; it works for just long enough to allow Van Persie to pull the trigger.

Sheer panic explains the shift. A loss to Blackburn Rovers, a humiliation by Manchester United and a kick in the janglies from Tottenham brought Wenger to the point of no return. The diehards even questioned whether Wenger knew best. Swansea were only beaten when their goalkeeper took pity on Andrey Arshavin and rolled the ball to him to score. Despite the win, another desperate low. Then things turned. Recent results, so impossibly good, have dulled the din. The smirks are back.

The diehards even questioned whether Wenger knew best

Unable to count on innate talent after the leak this summer, an abject refusal to bow down and lose has had to come through. It’s a reaction, not a calculation. Real adversity, not losing in a Champions League semi-final, makes Van Persie a man who can score against anyone, because he has to be. Real adversity makes Laurent Koscielny into a centre-back who can coach Per Mertesacker through a goalless last twenty minutes against Chelsea, because he has to be.

Wanting it won’t always win, but to be within touching distance of fourth place seemingly on undiluted effort suggests more fulfilling achievements aren’t far-fetched. Wilshere’s return and Ramsey’s slow-burn recovery from a broken leg two seasons ago promise an end to the quality deficit. If Van Persie’s contract talks can draw the star in again and more transfer booty can be reinvested in January, title hunting has to, at least, remain a part of the question.

Of those who dare to dream of self-conscious photos with the Premier League trophy in May, only Arsenal have come through a period of sustained hardship so far this season. We’ve seen they have the stones. The others, even with greater quality, will be challenged with disappointment at some point.

To be within touching distance of fourth place suggests more fulfilling achievements aren’t far-fetched

Already Manchester United have been unconvincing in beating Everton and Sunderland after Manchester City’s deconstruction. It’s as yet unclear whether a full-blown existential crisis is on its way or not. Around the same time, Chelsea used their disappointing defeat to QPR to fuel that poor display against Arsenal and this weekend’s 1-0 slog against Blackburn. City, mounting their first post-moneyed title challenge, will slip too, we
must assume.

Arsenal, then, can watch on, having moved beyond crisis and gained a new fortitude. Should playing well attach itself too, they are, would you believe it, better qualified than ever to challenge for trophies all the way up to May. Money on them in the cups, anyone?

We’ve got vintage Arsenal football aplenty in On Demand – available to watch whenever you like.

Including exhilarating football from the 2001/02 side.

For more features like this, visit the BT football website, Life’s a Pitch.

Read more of Ethan Dean-Richard’s different take on the world of football at Surreal Football, a website he co-edits. You can follow Surreal Football on Twitter @SurrealFootball

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