Tommy Martin: Arteta's superweapon eliminating risk and danger 

Arsenal look every inch the real deal, even if they have not won too many hearts.

STEADY NOW: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts during the Champions League win over Inter Milan (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via Getty Images)

Despite dropping points at Nottingham Forest on Saturday last, the only really bad result Arsenal had this week came on Tuesday night’s TV coverage from the San Siro, when Theo Walcott asked Wayne Rooney to compare the current Premier League and Champions League pacesetters to Rooney’s own, all-conquering 2008 Manchester United team.

Rooney didn’t even dwell for a millisecond on whether Patrice Evra would handle Bukayo Saka or if Cristiano Ronaldo might be shackled by Jurrien Timber. “We’d batter them!” he responded, dishing out to the Gooners a hypothetical hammering no real-world side has come close to managing this season.