When Anthony Taylor's final whistle blew in Saturday's North London derby, a sense of optimism that has been absent for some time encompassed the Emirates crowd, or at least those in red.

Arsenal very rarely let Tottenham Hotspur walk away from the Emirates with three points and the local bragging rights to their name, and the story in the capital was no different on Saturday lunchtime, even if Antonio Conte's side briefly threatened on the counter-attack.

Thomas Partey's thunderbolt, Gabriel Jesus's tap-in and Granit Xhaka's finish all contributed to a barnstorming Gunners victory in front of their buoyant home faithful - some of whom are already thinking about a title push, while others are remaining grounded for now.

Liverpool are faltering, Chelsea do not inspire heaps of confidence, and the Erik ten Hag revolution at Manchester United is yet to truly kick into gear - as evidenced by their 6-3 derby defeat to reigning champions Manchester City 24 hours after Arsenal's success over Tottenham.

Of course, Arsenal are no strangers to a thumping at the hands of Pep Guardiola's merciless machine, and they have already failed the Old Trafford test once again. In the past, Arsenal may have been likened to an armadillo after defeat to Manchester United - a hard outer shell with a soft underbelly - but something just feels different this time around.

With 21 points taken from a possible 24, Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table - one point better off than reigning champions Man City and four clear of bitter adversaries Tottenham - and such a position is wholly unfamiliar to managerial novice Arteta.

After eight games of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, Arsenal found themselves languishing in 12th place on both occasions, taking just 11 and 12 points respectively in Arteta's first two campaigns in charge - scoring a combined 16 goals.

This time around, Arsenal have already found the back of the net on 20 occasions in the Premier League and have conceded just eight goals - the first time since the 2016-17 season that they have avoided shipping double figures after eight matches.

To put Arsenal's eye-catching start to the season in even greater context, not even the iconic Invincibles of 2003-04 had amassed as many points after eight games - collecting 20 from 24 - and the Gunners have only sat at the top of the table after eight games in five previous seasons, the most recent of which came in 2013-14.

That plethora of reassuring statistics is only adding fuel to the fire surrounding Arsenal's chances of a fourth-ever Premier League title, and while the standings are still in their embryonic phase, the foundations for sustained success are there for all to see.

During the much-maligned later years of Arsene Wenger's career and Unai Emery's ill-fated stint in the hotseat, Arsenal became synonymous with a lengthy injury list, and it has been no different since Arteta took the reins to deploy a high-intensity style of football.

However, a significantly improved squad depth has so far helped the Gunners negate any fitness woes which have reared their ugly heads. No Martin Odegaard? Fabio Vieira is on the scene. No Thomas Partey? Albert Sambi Lokonga and Oleksandr Zinchenko are waiting in the wings.

The bulk of the credit must undoubtedly fall into Arteta's lap for such a seismic shift in fortunes. The Gunners took a risk with appointing the young and fresh-faced Spaniard with no experience in the managerial chair, despite learning from one of the best in Guardiola.

Like any emerging coach, Arteta made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes - the wave of substitutions in September's 3-1 defeat to Man United immediately springs to mind - but he has remained defiant in the face of scepticism and vitriol.

There was a time not that long ago when the words Arsenal and relegation were being used unironically in the same sentence, but Arteta has not been afraid to make those bold and unpopular decisions which have helped him mould the Gunners squad into his own vision.

From exiling creative fulcrum Mesut Ozil to immediately cutting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the ranks for disciplinary breaches, such intrepid decisions have paid dividends, and having the backing of the powers-that-be has not done any damage either.

Waves of backlash arrived when the signing of Aaron Ramsdale was announced, but the Englishman is now loved by the overwhelming majority of the fanbase. Many believed that William Saliba's countless loan spells in France would spell the end of a shortened Arsenal career - far from it.

The France international was once again one of the best players on the pitch in the North London derby, providing a measure of composure far beyond his 21 years, and former Gunners midfielder Cesc Fabregas revealed how he was alerted to Saliba's potential during his time in Ligue 1.

"I was watching him very closely because an ex-Arsenal scout asked me three years ago when we were playing Saint-Etienne in a cup match. I was rested so I was in the stand, he said 'watch this boy, I want to sign him'," Fabregas told BT Sport.

"He was 18, 19 and he was the best player on the pitch so that shows you the potential of this guy, he looks so easy, he could be Arsenal's centre-back for the next 15 to 20 years."

Saliba is deservedly receiving plenty of plaudits, but a whole host of Gunners players deserve the praise coming to them. Gabriel Jesus has barely put a foot wrong, Gabriel Martinelli is still giving Emerson Royal nightmares, and the Granit Xhaka redemption arc is going from strength to strength.

While there is certainly a lot to like about this Arsenal team - one that has shown a greater urgency to kill games off when dominant and responded extremely well to in-game setbacks - Arteta's men still possess their shortcomings.

Arteta is intent on his team deploying a high line and putting the opposition under immense pressure in the final third, but Man United proved how simple it can be to pass through the Gunners midfield and get in behind when too many bodies are committed forward.

Tottenham's bright forward line also experienced glimpses of joy on the counter-attack, which Arteta conceded that his side "could not defend against" in the North London derby, but his side could have done without Gabriel Magalhaes sticking a leg in on Richarlison in the penalty area.

Forever an aggressive and front-footed defender, when Gabriel steps out of the defensive formation to intercept high up the field, it looks brilliant when he gets it right. However, ask any Gooner, and they can reel off a handful of high-profile errors from the Brazilian.

A needless red card against Man City, gifting Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan a goal and losing out in a physical tussle with Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic - who found the back of the net with ease - have all been blots on Gabriel's notebook since his move from Lille in 2020.

Such mistakes can prove fatal against the pick of the litter, but Arsenal gave Man City a good run for their money at the Emirates last year before Gabriel's sending off, and the positives have only outweighed the negatives since then.

Arsenal are facing no fewer than nine games during an unforgiving October schedule - one of which sees them tackle Liverpool at the Emirates on October 9. The Gunners may hold the rare honour of being favourites to win that game given the sides' contrasting forms, and coming through that test on top would be a true indication as to where they actually are.

With so many players still in the fledgling stages of their careers, Arteta has been quick to insist that his new-look side have not achieved anything yet. There is still a lot to prove for Arsenal, and while talk of a title challenge may be premature at the moment, the Gunners should enter the conversation if such form continues before the World Cup takes precedence.