Indeed, Chelsea’s unbeaten league run stretches to 35 league games, dating back to last October, when they were defeated at Manchester City.

But Wenger knows from bitter experience how damaging just one defeat can prove after such a long run of success, with Arsenal’s supposed ’invincibles’ having fallen apart last year when they lost to Manchester United.

Having arrived at Old Trafford on the back of a 49-game unbeaten stretch, their 2-0 defeat was followed by just one victory in their next five league games and they duly lost the title.

Back in 2003, when Arsenal had previously defended the title, they went nine league games unbeaten before Wayne Rooney inspired Everton to victory and then the Gunners suffered three more defeats in all competitions.

Wenger declared: “Chelsea have had a bit of a lucky start. They won at Wigan in the last minute and beat us with a miscontrolled ball.

“I’m not surprised that they have started well. When you have just won the championship and you go into the new season, it goes well for you for a while.

“But the difficulties will come later on the pitch. When you have lost, it takes you a while to come back. Football is not as predictable as it looks.

“When you are on a roll, it just goes on. Even when you are not playing well, you win games. But it can change.

“Football is not as straightforward as it looks. Suddenly you lose a game that you don’t deserve to and it happens.”

Chelsea are at home to Aston Villa tomorrow, while Arsenal’s immediate target is to keep up the pressure by securing their first away win of the campaign at West Ham.

“My worry is not Chelsea,” insisted Wenger. “It is for us to be consistent, but there is a great spirit in our squad and it will come out.

“We are playing well and growing from game to game. We are in September. We have lost two games, unfortunately, but we played at Chelsea and Middlesbrough.

“I’m still convinced that we have the quality to win the championship.”