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Despite one of the toughest months of the season, where Arsenal only accumulated eight out of a possible 15 points so far, the Gunners are still top of the table at the time of writing, albeit by a one point margin. With tough fixtures such as Manchester City, Everton and Chelsea out of the way, the next few weeks serve as a chance for Arsenal to strengthen their claim for a first title since 2004.

Barring tomorrow's away clash against Newcastle, up until February Arsenal have some very winnable games coming up—along with Newcastle, Arsenal will face Cardiff (H), Aston Villa (A), Fulham (H), Southampton (A) and Crystal Palace (H).

In the same period, title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea will face each other tomorrow, Manchester City will play back-to-back games with Tottenham and Chelsea in just over a month while Chelsea will host Manchester United in three weeks.

There are bound to be dropped points in this period for Arsenal's rivals, while Arsene Wenger's men could very well extend their lead at the top of the table in the process. A 3-1 comeback win against West Ham was the perfect boost as the Gunners climbed back to the top of the table. As reported by Fox Sports after the game, Wenger was pleased with the comeback and feels Arsenal are proving critics wrong.

"That was a kind of game that many people would have questioned us had we not won and even more if we had lost. We have another good game now on Sunday at Newcastle, who are in full confidence as well, so that will be another test. The team wants to do well and the character is great. The concentration is top. I believe we had a difficult period just now but honestly that was mainly down to the schedule we had.

With Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski back along with the eventual return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, if the Gunners perform to the standards they've been used to for the majority of this season, they should be gaining at least 16 out of the next possible 18 points. And this would no doubt consolidate their position at the top, heading into a crucial period from February to March.