ARSENAL have conceded four times this season. The longest they went before responding is eight minutes. The other three were all pegged back inside three minutes.

This may seem like a small detail, a quirk and nothing more, but it’s really not. Last season, the Gunners gained only three points from losing positions, the joint lowest in the Premier League. But that was then.

Across this summer a development leap seems to have taken place at the Emirates and while a decent transfer window partly explains it, perhaps too the players and staff are strongly reacting to their late collapse last term that deprived them of Champions League football. Perhaps Arsenal have finally had enough of being Arsenal?

It’s a progression that has led to Mikel Arteta’s side winning their first five games in a season for the first time in 17 years, and all with the second youngest collective in the top-flight. Only Manchester City have managed more shots on target to this juncture, while at the other end Aaron Ramsdale is being tested every 40.9 minutes, a stat that if sustained would likely guarantee top four on its own terms.

At the back, Gabriel and Saliba are offering defensive insurance not seen since – dare we say it – the days of Adams and Keown, while in midfield Xhaka is thriving on a tweaked role that has him advanced of the centre-circle more often than not. Up front, Gabby Jesus has already announced himself as the forward Gooners desperately wanted Alexandre Lacazette to be and then throw in Martinelli with his two match-winners so far, Odegaard and Saka and what we have is a fluid and balanced front five that is a match for anyone.

Jesus has never scored against United in 11 attempts and Saka has not converted from open play in 15 games. For a goalscorer this Sunday go for Odegaard at a tempting 21/5

They are galvanized too and that is key. Because Arsenal have been blessed with some wonderful teams in recent times, but they always lacked something and that was usually from a psychological standpoint and behind the ribcage.

Whereas Gabriel’s late winner vs Fulham resulted in a fevered explosion of joy that unified the stadium, suggesting there is an energizing connection now between the players and fans that is taking the form of a cause. This may have upset the Celebration Police – led predictably by Sergeant Richard Keys – but as ever the point was entirely missed. Arsenal were not exclusively celebrating a goal against Fulham. They were rejoicing at another meaningful detachment from a decade of disappointment.

Only now, on the horizon is Manchester United at Old Trafford. And Arsenal typically fare poorly at Old Trafford.

They may well rectify that on Sunday but the visitors won’t have it all their own way. A bet builder of BTTS and over 1.5 goals for Arsenal offers up 17/10.

Only one league win in ten tells a story, though last December the Gunners did enjoy most of the possession, and racked up more chances, only to be undone by an individual display from Ronaldo.

At least, from Arsenal’s perspective, they will probably not have to deal with CR7 on this occasion, a player who has scored nine times in 17 previous meetings with the Gunners, and the Portuguese megastar’s demotion to the bench following United’s dismal nadir at Brentford can partly be attributed to the Reds’ very own development leap of late. For Ronaldo, see also Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.

In their place, Lisandro Martinez has quickly forged a good understanding with Varane, and Tyrell Malacia has greatly impressed at left-back. Up top meanwhile, a trio of Elanga, Rashford and Sancho are offering energy and endeavour and being rewarded for it. Sancho has scored two in three.

It’s also highly pertinent that Eriksen and Fernandes are becoming more influential with every passing week and even if United are still a thousand miles away from being a Ten Hag team playing Ten Hag football, they are almost certainly now heading in the right direction, and at a rate of knots.

Bolstered by consecutive clean sheets – not to mention a rousing and potentially transformative victory over Liverpool, completing 155 sprints and outrunning their long-time tormentors in the process – United go into this clash having silenced all talk of crisis but some caution is demanded here, for all that United deserve enormous credit for turning their season’s narrative around.

Because while Arsenal’s fine form feels like the final stages of a long-term project, United’s regeneration has been done on the fly, propelled by desperation as much as the execution of their manager’s wants.

Arteta’s men have notched five times inside the opening half-an-hour this season. Back them to win the first half at 43/20.

This was evidenced twice-over in their wins at Southampton and Leicester this past week, with both victories achieved via workmanlike showings that compensated for the flaws that still need to be ironed out.

And it is this crucial detail that may ultimately decide Sunday’s showdown, because right now Arsenal are looking like the real deal, their metamorphosis nigh-on complete, save for better squad depth. Whereas United, by comparison, are presently pretending to be the real deal, a clever strategy for sure, and one that ensures they do the right things until they too will get to wildly celebrate a meaningful detachment from their disappointing past.

The difference though will be there for all to see this weekend. Back the Gunners.

United’s recent improvement has inevitably made them more physical, averaging 13.3 fouls in their last three games. Over 10.5 fouls by the hosts is available at 19/20.