Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has claimed that the team are better equipped to challenge for the Premier League title this season because they have a greater "strength in depth".
Arsene Wenger's side slipped out of the race in the closing stages of the 2015-16 campaign, eventually finishing second in the table, 10 points adrift of champions Leicester City.
As it stands, the Gunners are two points behind current leaders Liverpool after winning seven of their 11 top-flight fixtures.
In addition, the team have not been beaten in the league since their opening-day loss to Liverpool at the Emirates.
"I think the first [quality we have] is the strength in depth," Cech told the club's official website. "When we were unlucky with long-term injuries last season, we had to use the same players in so many games and you lack energy in certain parts of the season.
"We dropped points because we couldn't rotate. This season we have strength in depth, you could see in the Champions League and domestic cup [games] and for the Premier League we keep using different players or can use the same players.
"Last season everybody was talking about how far we can go, where we can go and we knew that we had a lot of qualities, that's why we finished in the best position Arsenal had finished in a long time, but we missed a little bit to win the title, so this season we go step-by-step, we try to improve and then I think we are on the right way."
After the international break, Arsenal will face Manchester United at Old Trafford on November 19.
Danielle Joynson
