ARSENAL are finally talking up their chances of landing a first Prem crown since 2004 after opening up an eight-point gap at the top.
Cautious manager Mikel Arteta has constantly tried to play down the soaring Emirates expectations and refuses to even discuss the possibility of becoming champions.
GettyBukayo Saka and fellow Arsenal stars are becoming more confident over their title chances[/caption]
But that is difficult now there is clear daylight between his team and Manchester City.
And it is not hard to understand why his players are getting giddy after Sunday’s impressive win against Crystal Palace.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, 26, even celebrated out of his car window with fans along the road outside the ground following the 4-1 victory.
That took the Gunners to 69 points — as many as they got in the whole of last season.
And while City’s commitments in the Champions League and FA Cup mean they could still have as many as 18 more games to play, Arsenal’s Europa League exit leaves them giving their full focus to their ten remaining Prem fixtures.
Returning striker Gabriel Jesus, 25, cannot wait for the run-in following knee surgery.
The ex-City man said: “I am ready for the best part of the season, the time when you have to play the big deciding games.”
Brazilian Jesus knows what he is talking about after winning four title races in five years before his £45million move from the Etihad last summer.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
And his return to full fitness has fired the imagination of his young team-mates.
Bukayo Saka, 21, said after the Palace win that “nothing can stop” them ending their 19-year wait for a league title.
He said: “We don’t fear anyone. You can see the way we play, even when City came here.
“The prize at the end is worth giving everything for. We have the belief and the desire that we want to do something special this year.
“And nothing can stop us, especially not being tired.
“We are not going to pretend we don’t know who we are playing next because we have ten finals to go.”
No one at Arsenal says it is going to be easy, particularly with visits to Liverpool, City and Newcastle to come.
But the swagger about Arteta’s side after six straight league wins looks like a throwback to the 2004 Invincibles that included club legends Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
ODE TO JOY
Asked if he is dreaming of lifting the Premier League trophy, captain Martin Odegaard, 24, said: “It’s been my dream since I was a baby.
“But the main thing is to stay calm and to keep pushing every day to make sure we improve. We’re where we want to be in the table.”
Even Granit Xhaka, 30, admitted: “We don’t yet speak about winning the title.
“But when you are this many points clear of second place, why not?
“I’m a big fan of dreaming in life but this is not a dream. This is something we can really achieve.”
Much of this new-found belief has been fired by the return of serial winner Jesus. But the striker said: “At Arsenal, no one is the main man. Everyone’s just as important.
“When I got injured, we were sure Eddie Nketiah could come in and help us. And he did. Then Leo Trossard came in and he has helped us as well.
“Everyone is together and to be champions we need more than just 11 players. When you have a good relationship with your team-mates, everything on the pitch works well.
“That’s why we are top of the league. We are playing good football and we understand each other. It’s good to be a family.”