Is Arsenal really the front-runner to win the Premier League in 2013-14?
One look at the table tells the viewer that the Gunners are in prime position to win the title this season thanks to a five-point lead. However, there is a ton of work to do and it is hard to automatically give anything to a team that has struggled for years to come away with a championship.
Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, and Aaron Ramsey are undoubtedly on fire and the rest of the team is playing up to their level, but the reality is that Arsenal has not been heavily tested. The team took down Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year and is coming off an impressive 2-0 win over Liverpool, but there has been no game against Manchester City, Chelsea, or Manchester United this season.
The team played a b-squad against Chelsea on Tuesday and lost 2-0. This may hint at Arsene Wenger's potential problems down the line as the team was beat by horrific mistakes in its own zone as well as a brilliant moment from Juan Mata.
The most telling performance however may be the other recent loss the team incurred. During its 2-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund, the Gunners dominated play but were unable to shut down Robert Lewandowski on a fortuitous counter. The fact that the Gunners could not shut down an elite side speaks volumes about how much work remains to be done. No one will compare United, City or even Chelsea with the likes of Borussia Dortmund (none have proven to be at that level), but they will pose greater challenges than those faced by the Gunners thus far. Only then will Arsenal prove its worth.