Might Arsenal go on a run now? Could they sneak along the rails to catch the leaders close to the finishing line?

“We have to be realistic and just prepare for the next game and not dream too much,” he said. “When I say be realistic we have to look behind, over our shoulders, as well. Manchester City, Manchester United, West Ham are chasing. Let’s look over our shoulders and also chase if we can.”

Such pragmatism is reasonable. Wenger has experience of guiding a team through a late charge to the title from his early days in north London. He knows the unexpected twists that can be decisive. “To find a team who clicks at the right moment, sometimes you have all kinds of reasons,” he points out.

Bizarre circumstances

He recalls the series of wins that set in motion a Premier League triumph in his first full season in England, 1997-1998.

He tells of a game in hand in bizarre circumstances – a match away to Wimbledon was abandoned because the electricity failed in suspicious circumstances linked to a betting syndicate. When it was replayed, Arsenal’s match-winner came from an unlikely source – the Liberian squad player Christopher Wreh. “Then we won at Manchester United, and suddenly everybody thought it was possible. Unfortunately, this time we have to fight with two teams.”

Wenger acknowledges there has been a click in his current team that occurred without being part of the master plan. A better balanced midfield and a punchier forward line are making a big difference. Since Mohamed Elneny came into the team, his combination with Francis Coquelin has given Arsenal a much more secure platform. The vigour of Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi has freshened up the attack.

Encouragement

Having set his squad a target to win their remaining Premier League games, Wenger took encouragement from the one chalked off on Saturday as a seemingly distracted Watford succumbed easily to goals from a revived Alexis Sanchez, the promising Iwobi, the adventurous Hector Bellerin and the substitute Theo Walcott.

“I feel we want to win our games and see what happens,” Wenger explained. “I believe this team has the right mentality. I have had many teams in my life and this team is top quality.”

Wenger’s Watford counterpart was disappointed with a muddled display that contrasted with their win at the Emirates in the FA Cup recently.

Watford have been stuck on 37 points for four league games, and Quique Sanchez Flores was emphatic that it was not enough to be safe. Guardian Service