Could this be the year that Arsenal puts it all together? It's only October, and the Gunners aren't perfect, but Mikel Arteta's side is better than it has ever been under the Spaniard. Even with a loss to Liverpool in the Premier League and a late draw against Manchester City, Arsenal has looked every bit the side that it dreamed of being after spending big this summer get over the hump. The club didn't exactly need a singular game to announce itself as one of the big contenders for trophies this year, but Tuesday's Champions League match against Atlético Madrid served that purpose, as the Gunners shook off a languid first half to wallop the Spanish side 4-0, leaving no doubt that this Arsenal is ready to compete for everything.

It took Arsenal a while to warm up on Tuesday, which is fair given the opposition. In contrast to what we've come to expect from Diego Simeone's Atlético teams, Los Colchoneros are actually quite attacking-minded, and have already put up some gaudy scorelines in this young season (5-1 against Frankfurt the last time out in the Champions League, and a famous 5-2 thrashing of Real Madrid). That...