It began at Real Madrid last season, and took Arsenal to the Champions League final. But for Lehmann’s red card, it could have beaten Barcelona. It certainly accounted for Manchester United at Old Trafford, and after the victory over Reading last Sunday, there seems little doubt that Arsene Wenger has found a way of replacing such physical battlers as Vieira, Parlour and the fading Freddie yet still manage to dominate a midfield.

It’s a tough ask to outplay a midfield you can’t outmuscle, but there are hints that with the 4-1-4-1 line-up which has been developed since February, the Gunners might just be able to play their way around the hackers once those dreaded trips ‘oop north start coming thick and fast. In the Old Trafford and Majedski visits, I was reminded of Graeme Souness, who was once asked whether or not he was able to get a whack in at the Brazilian legend Zico when Liverpool faced him in the World Club Championship. Souness responded he couldn’t get close enough to the maestro to administer any challenges that might make him think twice about trying the skilful stuff.

When Arsenal click, it is often the same story. The opposition are as much spectators as the fans in the stand. With Gilberto playing minder to the centre backs, Arsenal’s new look attacking midfield of Hleb, Fabregas, Rosicky and Van Persie may look a bit lightweight, but all are capable of making life awkward and cutting off angles, using sheer weight of numbers to stifle opposition moves before a rhythm can be found. However, their obvious strength is in possession, as their understanding develops and the fluidity of their positioning makes it almost impossible to keep them all quiet for 90 minutes. The triangles are now effective in addition to looking pretty, largely due to the new formation giving more options of width, in contrast to Arsenal’s first three Premiership matches this season. It says a lot about the system that the team could win with it at Old Trafford without Thierry Henry.

Arsenal look like they could get even better as the season progresses, once Clichy starts as a matter of course and Gallas moves into the centre. With Eboue’s return the team will be strong going forward on both flanks, posing even more questions to opponents.

Many may not like this, but Gilberto is absolutely key to the success of the system and in fairness, is practically irreplaceable. I kept an eye on him at Reading. He was extremely vocal, organising everyone around him and operating some of the less experienced players on strings in the way that Tony Adams used to. Granted, in possession, the man looks anything like a Brazilian, but he has five players in front of him who compensate for that.

The 4-1-4-1 may have implications for Adebayor, as he simply doesn’t play positionally in the way that Robin van Persie can. An alternative may be to place Henry wide and Adebayor central if Robin’s form drops, and of the attacking midfield quartet, currently he is the player who seems most profligate. However, should Wenger give him a run of starts, his displays might reach the consistency he apparently reaches for Holland, and the width of his position currently is more in sympathy with his role in the national team – unlike partnering Henry in a more traditional 4-4-2.

I hope Arsene Wenger keeps this formation going for home matches too. With the players at his disposal, it’s the best option. Its merits may have been discovered by necessity being the mother of invention (the need not to get hammered in the first leg in the Bernabeu), but it has looked more and more convincing the more I have seen it.

There is still work to be done at the back on set pieces. Arsenal are a long way from perfection. But they are certainly a joy to watch and I am confident that the three teams that denied the Gunners points at the season’s beginning would be cannon fodder if they faced Wenger’s team now. Things are looking good. Now it’s a matter of going into the matches against the other big sides and being as convincing as we saw at Old Trafford in September.