The Gunners are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, putting them in an excellent position to win their first title since 2004

So, here it is, then, the home stretch.

The international break is over and for Arsenal the cup competitions are done. Mikel Arteta’s side have nothing else in front of them other than their remainingPremierLeaguefixtures.

The Gunners are effectively 10 matches away from immortality.

It’s been 19 years since Arsenal were last crowned champions of England and they've not had a better chance to end that run over the past two decades.

After a quite remarkable 28 games, they are eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table going into this weekend’s game against Leeds United.

But now they are faced with arguably their toughest task to date: finishing off the job.

Some, like Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho, have been in this type of position before. But the majority haven’t, and nor has Arteta.

Whether that makes a difference remains to be seen, but so far Arsenal have shown little sign of feeling the pressure.

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When they were beaten by City last month and kicked off top spot in the process, many expected them to fall away. It was assumed that City would just go on and cruise to the title like they always do.

But Arsenal won at Aston Villa the following weekend in dramatic fashion to return to the summit and have followed that up with a further five straight wins.

Getty'The right level of competition and cooperation'

“We have really good people and we have really good players,” Arteta said. "We have people and players who are curious all the time to improve, to learn, to be better. 

"We have the right level of competition and cooperation because they really want to help each other, but they have to challenge each other as well to benefit the team and lift everyone to the standards we want.”

Arsenal begin their final push on Saturday, against Leeds.

With a trip to Anfield – a ground the Gunners haven’t tasted success at in the league since 2012 – looming large on the horizon the following weekend, three points are vital against Javi Gracia’s side.

Thomas Partey is hoping to be fit, despite sitting out Ghana’s game with Angola on Monday, but William Saliba is out with a back problem which is causing growing concern.

Jesus could be handed his first league start since November, however, and the Brazilian’s return to full fitness could be crucial over the next two months.

AdvertisementGetty'We cannot control the outcome of other clubs'

“I think it’s about what we do every single day,” Arteta said when asked the most important thing his side can do to maintain their advantage in the title race. “That’s what is going to decide our outcome. 

“We cannot control the outcome of other clubs. What we can control is what we do every single day. How we behave, how we train, how we communicate, how our energy is.

“Now, it has to be about enjoying the last part of the season with a real hunger to continue to do what we’ve done and, if possible, better.”

The way Arsenal bounced back from the disappointment of losing against City says a lot about this young team.

They could easily have folded after that defeat, especially as it came on the back of the loss at Everton and the controversial draw against Brentford.

But instead they found a way to go again.

The last-minute winner at Aston Villa, the Reiss Nelson goal against Bournemouth – whenever it has started to look like things might be slipping away, they have managed to pick themselves up off the floor and keep fighting.

“The secret is probably the unity and togetherness that they have between them,” Arteta said. “They love to spend time with each other, they love to play with each other and they love to play in front of our people. 

“They really have that sense of belonging to the club and that’s really powerful.”

GettyThe motivating factor

Few would ever have expected Arsenal to be in this position when the season started back in August.

The collapse at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, when they let a top-four spot slip away, was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

But while many believed there would be a hangover from that disappointment, Arsenal’s squad instead used it as motivation.

And, with the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko adding proven winners to the changing room, the momentum has just continued to build from that opening-weekend win at Crystal Palace.

“It’s something that has been part of the journey,” Arteta said of the painful end to last season. “I really liked what I saw the first day when we got back from holidays. People were hungry. 

“The signings we made had a big impact on the team, they generated belief, they took the quality and leadership of the team to a different level. 

“Then it was about trying to build that up every single day to a level where you start to believe you can be at the top and that you can sustain that level.”

The final sprint

For Arsenal now, it’s about keeping their nerve; continuing to do the things that have got them into this position.

They have some difficult games coming up, not least the trips to Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle.

But they have faced those types of challenges already this season and more often than not, they have managed to come out on top.

They have won at Chelsea, they have beaten Spurs home and away and they have overcome Liverpool and United at the Emirates.

So, they don’t need to fear what is to come over the next 10 games; they need to relish it.

Arteta’s side have led from almost the first kick of the season and now the finishing line is in sight.

The final sprint is about to begin…