"I don't think too many people had them in the top-four predictions before the start of the season, I know I certainly didn't," Liverpool great Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports of Arsenal.
"I know it's early days, but you look at the way other teams have performed in the early weeks and I think they'll be a much stronger proposition for the Champions League places than we initially thought.
"[Arsenal's fixtures] are tough games on paper but you can be sure they'll be tough for the opposition now, whereas in the past people maybe thought with Arsenal you can bully them and maybe roll them over in certain games.
"They are a lot stronger proposition now under Mikel Arteta."
Mikel Arteta has significantly improved Arsenal in many areas. First of all, he has changed the defensive organisation, switching from a back-four to a back-five in July.
He has installed a rigorous work ethic at the club, making sure everyone is on the same page and gives 110 per cent not only in every game, but in every training session.
The Spaniard has turned Arsenal from the mess they used to be under Unai Emery into the FA Cup and Community Shield winners in the space of just 9 months, and the Gunners are gradually getting back to the top.
Carragher's praise signals that Arsenal are being taken seriously again. In June, he implied the Gunners were not good enough for a top striker like Aubameyang when discussing the captain's contract saga. And now the Liverpool great says he'd bet on Arsenal to return to the Champions League.
You can almost hear the sound of tables turning.
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