The festive period will be a particularly joyful one for Arsenal fans, whose side will be top of the Premier League table at Christmas for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Mikel Arteta's side have only dropped five points from their opening 14 games of the season before the World Cup break and now hold a five-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City following Saturday's 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There is no sole secret to Arsenal's magnificent start to the campaign. Faith in Arteta, offloading the deadwood and improvement across the board have all been contributing factors, but astute acquisitions in the transfer market have also played their part.
Here, Sports Mole grades all of Arsenal's summer signings ahead of the imminent World Cup break.
GABRIEL JESUS
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Asking Gabriel Jesus to play the role of a 20-goal-a-season striker may have been too big of a demand for the former Manchester City man, whose recent goal drought has perhaps unfairly dominated the headlines.
While Arteta would certainly like to see a more ruthless streak from the Brazilian, who only has five goals in 20 outings so far this season, the Spaniard is always delighted with Jesus's work across the pitch.
Jesus has seven assists to go alongside his five goals this term and has wowed Gooners with his ability to create chances on his own, dribble through a sea of bodies in and around the penalty area and always play a huge part in Arsenal's build-up play.
The 25-year-old has now gone 11 games without finding the back of the net, which is certainly an alarming statistic, but Arteta is not concerned about Jesus's current sticky patch while the goals are shared around the team.
Bringing a playmaking quality, winning mentality and intensity to the number nine spot that has been absent in the Gunners' ranks for some time, Jesus has undoubtedly been a stellar bit of business from those upstairs.
Grade: A
OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO
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It would not be an Arsenal season without a few frustrating injury woes here and there, and Oleksandr Zinchenko has already missed more games for the club than he has actually played.
The 25-year-old has made nine appearances for his new club while missing a further 12 games through injury, but he got off to the perfect start, claiming the first assist of the Premier League season for Gabriel Martinelli against Crystal Palace.
Arsenal have been light in midfield for several months now, and while Arteta primarily views Zinchenko as a left-back, the Ukrainian's ability to help overload the engine room is a standout quality.
Granit Xhaka going off against Wolves last season would have sparked much more panic than it did on Saturday, with Zinchenko always willing to come central and channel his qualities from playing in the middle for Ukraine.
Zinchenko is firmly Arteta's first-choice left-back, despite Kieran Tierney raising his hand with a few impressive Europa League showings, and staying fit for the second half of the season must be the main goal for the left-back now.
Grade: B-
FABIO VIEIRA
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The signing that came out of absolutely nowhere, Fabio Vieira experienced a disrupted pre-season with Arsenal due to injuries, and it would unsurprisingly take the Portuguese a bit of time to adapt to the physical Premier League - especially with his light frame.
Two goals and two assists in 15 matches is not a disastrous record for Vieira by any means, but expectations may have been set slightly too high following his stunning strike against Brentford for his first Premier League goal back in September.
Vieira has not started a Premier League game since that 3-0 win, but he was the first port of call for Arteta when Xhaka came off at Molineux and made an intelligent run before laying on an assist for Martin Odegaard's opener.
However, the ex-Porto man has also had his fair share of underwhelming showings - the EFL Cup loss to Brighton & Hove Albion comes to mind - and it will still take some time for the versatile midfielder to come good in North London.
The signs of potential are certainly there for the 22-year-old, who is a useful option to bring off the bench, but recent showings have left some Arsenal fans more underwhelmed than overjoyed.
Grade: C+
MATT TURNER
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USA international Matt Turner - who will have eyes on the number one spot for his country during the World Cup - would not have made the move to Arsenal expecting to oust established number one Aaron Ramsdale.
Opportunities in cup competitions and the Europa League would have been the main aims for Turner, and he has only made four appearances in the continent's secondary competition so far, but he has barely put a foot wrong.
Since conceding from the spot against FC Zurich, Turner has kept successive clean sheets against PSV Eindhoven and in back-to-back games against Bodo/Glimt, while impressing with his distribution, handling and sweeper-keeper qualities.
Former USA goalkeeper Brad Friedel has claimed that Turner is too good a shot-stopper to be sitting on the bench week in week out in the Premier League, and interest in his services could increase if he enjoys a positive World Cup period.
For now, though, Arteta can rest easy in the knowledge that he has a competent backup to Ramsdale, and it would be very interesting to see how Turner would perform in a Premier League scenario.
Grade: B
MARQUINHOS
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Brazilian starlet Marquinhos has not quite enjoyed the same early-career trajectory as compatriot Martinelli since making the move from Sao Paulo over the summer.
Performances at youth level convinced Arsenal staff to give Marquinhos a chance in the first team for the first half of the season, and he could hardly have got off to a better start with a goal and assist against Zurich in the Europa League on his competitive debut.
However, the 19-year-old has been unable to replicate that match-winning showing in his subsequent four performances, and Arteta has only handed him one minute of Premier League action so far.
Marquinhos has struck four goals and two assists in five Premier League 2 matches for the Under-21s, but there is now an acceptance that he is not totally ready for regular first-team Arsenal football, and a loan exit in January should be on the cards.
Grade: D
