Fulham coach Marco Silva praised the project that Mikel Arteta is evolving at Emirates Stadium.
This time last year, Arsenal sat bottom of the Premier League having lost their opening three matches – the complete opposite to how this season has started.
“I think he’s one of the best examples of when you believe in the people who are in charge of your club, managing your club,” Silva said.
“When you believe in the staff it cannot be one bad run, one bad month, even if they are one of the biggest clubs in this country, or three or four bad games that can change everything.
“Of course, after time, everything will be put on the right track again. With time and supporting him, and of course it’s clear what they did in the market, some pieces that they brought in to give them the extra they needed, they started really well.
“They are confident, they are playing well, they are creating great dynamics inside the pitch as well, and of course they will be a tough team to play against.”
When asked if he thinks Arsenal can maintain this form and mount a title challenge, Silva was reluctant to make predictions about other teams.
“I don’t know what I can tell you,” he replied. “The Premier League is tough, the Premier League is not a race, it’s like a marathon and every single match you have to be really on your top.
“I’m not the right person to talk about if they are going to be contenders for one thing or the other. It’s more for Arteta to talk about that than myself.
“I can talk to you about what they did last three games at the beginning of the season, the way they started pre-season as well.
“They are playing good football, they are confident, you can see from the first minute of the first game the way they’ve started.
“Some players have come in and they’ve added something different for them as well. Gabriel Jesus is a good example, the central defender [William Saliba] is a good example as well, and they’ve added something important for them.
“They have a lot of individual quality, they are in a good moment, it will be tough for us, but we are in a good moment as well.
“Of course you want to go there to match them, to challenge them, to embrace the challenge that will definitely be a tough challenge for us, but we want to play the game and to match them.”