Arsenal 8 points clear, but not yet galloping away

Having gone out of the Europa League on Thursday, it was important that we bounced back quickly. And we did exactly that.

It was not just the victory against Palace that was important, but the manner in which we win.

After the Bournemouth game, I mentioned how we can not keep expecting to get away with it. That whilst coming from behind with a last minute winner is exciting, it was happening too often. Bournemouth came off the back of last minute winners against Aston Villa and Manchester United.

3-0 against Fulham was followed up with a 4-1 win over Palace. 7 goals scored in 2 games, just the one conceded.

It means that we go into the international break 8 points clear of Manchester City.

Whilst the gap might look huge, things can change quickly. City have a game in hand – home to West Ham, and also need to face us at the Etihad.

City fans will be thinking “win the game in hand and beat Arsenal at home, its a 2 point league”, and they are right.

And that is why I am not going to get too excited, yet. Likewise, those saying “if Arsenal bottle it from here it will be the biggest collapse in Premier League history” are misguided.

My memory goes back to Manchester United being being 5 points clear of Manchester City with 4 games to play in 2011/12.

United drew and lost their next two games – the defeat away to Man City – and missed out on the title by goal difference.

There is still plenty of football to play, plenty of twists and turns still to come.

All we can keep doing is focusing on the next game. And that is Leeds at home after the international break.

The two-weeks off will give us more time to get fitness into Gabriel Jesus, and hopefully get William Saliba back.

We are in a very good place right now. Much better than any of us would have dreamed before the season started. But we have not yet galloped away. There are still a few furlongs to run. A few more fences to jump.

The race is not over yet.