You have to hand it to Arsene Wenger. The man might actually just be able to pull off one of the greatest upsets English football has seen in recent years. That’s if Arsenal are still in first place in the table come the end of 11th May.

The team certainly looked to be faltering a little in the first half of January, with performances that suggested they might be running out of steam, and Cesc Fabregas playing below the high standards we have become accustomed to.

But since the Fulham match, Arsenal have started to look the part once again. Not for 90 minutes of every match (the first half in the FA Cup v Newcastle was pretty substandard), and I’m not regarding the Carling Cup semi as significant due to the teams Wenger fielded.

The real difference has been the performances of players that, at different times, I have thought would not, ultimately, be quite good enough to match the achievements of their predecessors. Step forward Emmanuel Adebayor, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb. There have been times over the last three years when I have thought, ‘What’s Arsene doing picking him? Simply not good enough.’

Yet here we are in 2008 and all three seem utterly integral to the team. And my hat goes off to Arsene Wenger, who spotted potential that he believed would come good, even if doubters like me couldn’t see it. Remember Ade’s miss v Pompey in the spring of 2006? Flamini’s non-existent performance as a substitute in the Champions League final? Twenty minutes without touching the ball? And Hleb at the back end of last season when it seemed he couldn’t find a team-mate with a pass if they were two yards away.

Then, I doubted the judgement, but as Wenger has always maintained, experience costs points, and the team did indeed drop plenty in the final season at Highbury and the first one at Ashburton. But, all the while, unable to compete with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in the transfer market, Le Boss has been quietly building a side capable of challenging for honours once again. Should he achieve it, it would be a remarkable achievement specifically because of the riches his opponents enjoy.

Cast you mind back to the beginning of the season. The title was between three teams. Arsenal had not bought proven players, just more potential that would take too long to adapt for this to be their season. Maybe next year. Thierry Henry had been sold and the squad contained a lot of youthful promise, but not the experience to stay the pace. Well of course that could still prove the case, but if the team continue to perform with the quality they demonstrated at Manchester City on Saturday, they have every chance of pipping United to the title.

Of course, the visits to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge in the league may prove decisive, but the team were undefeated at those venues last season, and playing better this time around, have nothing to fear. There’s still a long way to go, but just staying true to the old cliché of taking each game as it comes, Wenger can bring the title to north London once again. If the team can avoid dropping cheap points like those at home to Birmingham, they have every chance. Incredible.

Arsenal fans could just be witnessing the beginnings of something a bit special.