Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta has declared his intention to end the club's unwanted New Year tradition after the Gunners established a four-point advantage at the Premier League summit.
The north London side demolished Aston Villa 4-1 in a commanding performance, whilst title rivals Manchester City could only manage a goalless stalemate away at Sunderland.
Despite this promising position, a troubling pattern looms over the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta's squad have now topped the table at the turn of the year, but history suggests this offers no guarantee of silverware come May.
The Spaniard remains undeterred as his team prepares to face Bournemouth this Saturday.
Over the past 23 years, Arsenal have found themselves atop the standings at the calendar year's conclusion on five separate occasions, yet each time the championship has eluded them.
The most recent instance came three seasons ago, when Arteta's men ultimately finished five points adrift of City.
The Gunners' last league triumph dates back to 2004, and they have finished runners-up in three consecutive seasons.
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta has declared his intention to end the club's unwanted New Year tradition
|PA
When informed of this unwelcome statistic before Saturday's trip to the south coast, Arteta claimed ignorance of the record but responded with characteristic defiance: "Let's break it."
"That’s what the players transmit every single day when they’re with us, training, and in every match. You can see their desire. You can see the energy that they put in, and how much they want it.
"There are still five months to go. Let’s take it day-by-day, enjoy that process of being where we are, and go for it."
Arsenal have faced a series of high-profile injuries this season, and last month Arteta claimed his side were in survival mode.
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Five things to know about Mikel Arteta | REUTERSThe Spaniard has been able to welcome back key defender Gabriel and attackers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, but could still be without Declan Rice for the trip to the south coast.
Rice missed a league game for the first time this season, against Villa, with a swollen knee he sustained while playing as an emergency right-back against Brighton on December 27.
Rice picked up his knee injury in the first half, but played the full match.
Asked if the swelling on Rice’s knee has reduced, Arteta replied: “Not yet, but we have another training session today. Let’s see how he goes and how his knee is feeling, but it (the match against Villa) was too early for him.
Mikel Arteta and his side will face Bournemouth on Saturday
| PAHe added: "You get a hit, and during the game you are able with adrenaline, and because you are warm, to sustain that. But then the body reacts, and it reacted probably more than we expected.
"But looking back at the past three seasons, we have less days of injuries than before. We had injuries that you have to separate, the traumatic ones, and the ones that are minor injuries. We have to improve on that, but we are better than some other years."
Arsenal spent £250million on eight summer signings. However, Arteta has already said the club will actively be looking for new players this month.
He added on Friday: "We are open to every option. Obviously, if we can find a solution that is short, medium or long-term, it is always much better because it gives you stability and you don’t have to start a process with a new player. But let’s see what happens in the next few weeks, and we’ll try to make the right decision."
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