An away trip to Old Trafford on the first day of the season, followed by visits to Anfield and St James' Park - all before the start of October.

With such a brutal opening run of games, Arsenal could have been out of the title race before it had even started.

Fast forward to now and you would struggle to find a fan not impressed with how the Gunners have dealt with this difficult start. Sixteen points from a possible 21 and only three goals conceded. Arsenal have more than weathered the storm.

Attention now turns to what looks - on paper - like a kinder run of fixtures. But there is still reason to be cautious.

Arsenal's undoing last term came from dropping points against the exact teams they face in their next three games.

At Craven Cottage, last December Mikel Arteta's side could only manage a draw against Fulham, who are their next Premier League opponents.

Two 1-1 draws with Brighton, who they face next in the EFL Cup, saw the Gunners lose valuable ground on Liverpool. Then, the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace all but handed the league title to the Reds in the spring.

Arsenal can clearly get up for big games. But the true test of the team's improvement since last campaign will come over the coming weeks, including navigating the Champions League visit of Atletico Madrid and a trip to Slavia Prague.

Arteta has clearly answered his critics when it comes to registering wins against the 'big six'. The defeat at Anfield was the first time Arsenal had lost to such a side since April 2023.

The question is now: can they do it on a mild October night in Fulham?