Arsenal and Manchester City sit atop the Premier League table with twelve points each after four rounds as rivals Chelsea Liverpool and Manchester United stumble early on.
The duo hold a four-point cushion over third-placed Hull City whose bright start may not translate into a genuine title challenge much as the faithful dream.
Arteta's outfit extended their league winning run to nine matches with a hard-fought victory over Sunderland at the weekend maintaining their relentless consistency.
Meanwhile City overcame a controversial one-nil derby win at Old Trafford on Sunday where Haaland's offside goal stood despite the refereeing body later admitting the error.
Maresca's men have ply their trade impressively since the Community Shield loss to Arsenal collecting maximum points against Bournemouth Palace and Coventry.
Underlying numbers however suggest neither side has dominated with both ranking outside the top ten for shots while Brighton and Chelsea have netted more goals.
Defensive solidity tells the real story as Arsenal have conceded once and City twice giving both tacticians a platform to build sustained pressure.
The talking point in Kampala circles is whether the chasing pack can bridge the gap before the international break or if the two-horse narrative hardens.
Key standings after four rounds
- Arsenal: 12 pts, 4 wins, 8 goals scored, 1 conceded
- Manchester City: 12 pts, 4 wins, 8 goals scored, 2 conceded
- Hull City: 3rd with 8 pts
- Refereeing body admits Haaland derby winner was offside
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Source: BBC Sport
