Mikel Arteta's intriguing Arsenal comparison to Arsene Wenger's title winners at same stage

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Arsenal claimed three Premier League titles under legendary manager Arsene Wenger , with the Frenchman's inaugural triumph arriving in 1998. Following championship victories in 1989 and 1991, Wenger re-established the Gunners' supremacy by dethroning Manchester United in an epic title battle.

Fast forward to today and Mikel Arteta is currently aiming to etch his name into Arsenal's prestigious legacy by delivering the north London outfit their first championship since 2004 .

Yet, whilst the 1998 double-winning squad are justifiably celebrated for their achievements, Arteta's team are genuinely in a superior position compared to Wenger's legendary side at the equivalent point of the campaign.

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The present Arsenal squad sit five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the table. Though the Citizens control their fate with Pep Guardiola's outfit possessing a match in hand and still needing to face Arsenal.

As of March 2, 1998, Arsenal occupied second place in the division, sitting nine points behind United, having recently drawn 0-0 with West Ham . Though Arsenal held three matches in hand over Sir Alex Ferguson's outfit.

What subsequently unfolded was nothing short of legendary, as Arsenal embarked on a remarkable 10-match winning streak to secure the championship. Indeed, following a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in mid-December 1997, the Gunners claimed 17 victories from 19 matches, with three draws.

Their subsequent losses were inflicted by Liverpool and Aston Villa in their last two matches of the season, after Wenger's squad had already clinched the title. Arsenal are now a mere nine games away from immortality following their 2-1 victory over Chelsea at The Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

However, fans will be pondering whether Arteta's team possess the same mindset as Wenger's 1998 side: one capable of driving them to an astonishing winning streak to secure the championship.

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At this juncture, City can amass a maximum of 89 points, assuming they triumph over the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium in April. Arsenal's top possible score is 91, provided they defeat City.

Crucially, if Arsenal emerge victorious in that game, City's highest achievable points total drops to 86. The figures indicate that Arsenal would need to gather 19 additional points from now until the season's conclusion to claim the title.

Therefore, a sum of 23 from their remaining nine games, assuming they win at City, would suffice to see them crowned champions.

The 1998 Arsenal side was fuelled by the legendary Dennis Bergkamp, who topped Arsenal's scoring charts with 22 in all competitions, alongside a robust defence led by former skipper Tony Adams. They also lifted the FA Cup that same year, overcoming Newcastle United 2-0 in the final.

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Arteta's side remain active in the FA Cup, have a League Cup final approaching and are through to the last-16 of the Champions League . There exists a scenario where the Spaniard could potentially preside over Arsenal's finest campaign of all time, should they claim multiple trophies.

However, former Arsenal midfielder Nigel Winterburn reckons the 1998 title-winning squad matches any other team Wenger assembled during his 20-year tenure, including the legendary Invincible outfit of 2004.

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Winterburn said: "In my time at Arsenal, the '98 team was the best team I played in. Luckily enough, the players we had and the players he brought in seemed to complement each other terrifically well and obviously that came to fruition very, very quickly with the 1998 Double team."

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