Look at the Premier League table. Consider how Arsenal are playing. The evidence is pretty clear, even if many at the club are reluctant to say it: Arsène Wenger and his players are bang in the mix for the title. Yet an equally clear sign might have come on Wednesday, from a streetwise scouser, whose comments also reflected his own return to form and confidence.

It was big-man-back-in-town talk from Wayne Rooney and when the Manchester United striker offered his view on Arsenal's staying power, or his perception of the lack thereof, he knew how it would be picked up and thrown at the London club, as they prepared for Sunday's visit to Old Trafford.

Rooney noted that Arsenal, who sit five points clear at the league's summit, were "doing brilliantly at the minute" but he also highlighted how they had "been in the top two until February or March [before] and faded away". If it was OK with everybody, he would prefer to reserve judgement on their credentials until March.

Rooney could not have been referring to the past two seasons, when Arsenal started poorly and were a long way off the pace; rather, three of the four before then, when they had entered February within striking distance of the title. In 2008, they began the month level on points with United at the top and, by 22 February, they were five in front.

Then, they went to Birmingham City; Eduardo da Silva broke his leg; William Gallas threw his tantrum and the 2-2 draw was the start of a disastrous run of eight points from an available 24.

The club took that failure badly and it has served to shape a narrative of Arsenal blow-ups that Rooney, and others, have bought into. The time-lines might have blurred as seasons from the past have merged into one another but the link has been established. It was clearly in Rooney's thoughts when he was asked. And so he said it. Arsenal have a history of implosions.

Yet he said it to raise the pressure on them before Sunday's meeting. And when he said it, it revealed plenty about how the defending champions have come to view Arsenal. Sir Alex Ferguson, towards the end of his Old Trafford tenure, did not bother to joust with Wenger because, in essence, he no longer considered him and Arsenal to be a rival. The managers came to tolerate and, even, like each other. Rooney's pop, as such, might have cheered the Arsenal support.

Not everyone at the club would agree but it is better to be talked about and risk becoming embroiled in a war of words than not to be talked about at all. Arsenal are wonderfully prominent again but the psychological scrapping comes with the territory. It is all part of the grand test of resolve.

Can they handle it? Will they bend this season's story to their will? It still feels too early to say but it would not be difficult to imagine the reaction to them winning at Old Trafford for the first time since 2006, which would put them 11 points clear of United. Their title prospects would soar.

Everyone seems to be waiting for Arsenal to slip up and then slump but the team have consistently found the answers so far. Their strength in responding to the damaging opening-day defeat by Aston Villa should not be overlooked and if last Saturday's home win over Liverpool represented a statement then Wednesday's Champions League victory at Borussia Dortmund was one that screamed across Europe.

There was the obvious comparison to last March's win at Bayern Munich, which was, albeit, not one to prevent a Champions League exit on away goals but that result did not feel nearly as significant. It came to be considered as a turning point over time. The win in Dortmund brought joy and an immediate tonic.

The momentum behind Arsenal has swelled and, after Aaron Ramsey scored the only goal in the Westfalenstadion on 62 minutes, it was remarkable to watch the team strut their stuff against last season's runners-up. The performance was underpinned by defensive assurance, spirit and maturity. So many players are in the form of their Arsenal careers, among them Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker and Ramsey. Dortmund looked out of ideas.

"You can see maybe that we add this resilience," Tomas Rosicky said. "We played very well defensively and they couldn't go through us. In the past, we didn't have this aspect of the game. Resilience could be the difference, what we were lacking in the previous years."

Arsenal have put down the foundations. Come what may, and there will be plenty, they hope that they are built to last.