The Reading striker Dave Kitson has offered an intriguing insight into the nightmarish reality of confronting Arsenal at present, labelling the swashbuckling style which has hoisted the Gunners to the top of the Premier League both "magical" and "unbelievable", if hellish to counter.
Kitson was employed as a lone striker against Arsène Wenger's side at the Madejski stadium on Monday night but, such was the visitors' poise in possession, found himself regularly forced into defensive duties as Reading heaved to contain their opponents. While the hosts held out admirably for 44 minutes, they were eventually swept away. Yet, such was the swagger mustered by Arsenal, all that remained from the Royals' forward was admiration at the manner in which the visitors had prevailed.
"It is unbelievably difficult playing against them and, to be honest, there wasn't a lot we could have done," said Kitson. "They are without doubt the best footballing team on the planet right now. It's absolutely phenomenal stuff. Trying to get near (Cesc) Fábregas, (Aleksandr) Hleb, (Tomas) Rosicky, it's a tough ask. The thing that amazes you most is they are not just passing to each other. They are passing so that the next person can run on to the ball and, by then, his mind is already made up with what he is going to do next. It is unbelievable.
"Fabregas puts his foot on the ball, has a look, sees what he wants to do and then he plays it four yards in front of him to Hleb. He'll turn round, play it another four yards by which time Fabregas has already gone past, and so it goes on. Trying to get near to them and stop it - I'm not saying it can't be done because the team they beat 7-0, Slavia Prague, managed to do it last week (in a goalless draw) - but it is tough. They don't have off days very often.
"It's interesting to compare them with Manchester United or Chelsea. What I would say about Arsenal is they are not reliant on one, two, three or even four people. They all kind of chip in even though, against us, they didn't really use their full-backs, simply because they didn't need to. I thought they had another couple of gears to go. It will be close at the end of the season between the three of them but even for a Tottenham fan like me - and to say this is blasphemy - you hope that a team who play as well as Arsenal win something. Their approach is just magic."
Sir Alex Ferguson may feel his United squad is the strongest with which he has had to work over the last 21 years, but there is a sense within the game that this youthful Arsenal side could go on and dominate for years in a way previous Wenger line-ups, including the 'Invincibles' of 2003-04, have failed to do. Indeed, they have coped so well in the absence of Thierry Henry, formerly the side's talisman, that this appears to be a team that can prevail for years to come.
"They have one major injury in Robin van Persie and they don't even look as if they are missing him," added Kitson. "Emmanuel Adebayor plays up front on his own and he is almost like two strikers up there. When Barcelona came in for Henry, Wenger must have seen the fee, looked at Adebayor and thought it was Christmas. He had a player waiting there for his chance and the unbelievable thing is that he probably wouldn't even have to spend the money.
"Just looking at Adebayor as a technician and as a football player, that is what every striker should aspire to. He is very right footed but, when you are that good, you don't need your left foot. He is 6ft 5in and you look at him and think: 'How is he doing this?' For his goal, the ball came at him at 100mph and he just cushioned it into the far corner. Then there's Fabregas. It is not even fair that a kid that young can have so much talent. He is world-class already: definitely among the top five players in the league, definitely one of the top players in the world. It's frightening. Wenger must be licking his lips because there is just silverware here on in for Arsenal."