ARSENE Wenger is not someone who hands out praise lightly. The erudite Frenchman might have eclipsed even the legendary Herbert Chapman by becoming the first Arsenal manager to lead his side to three league championships last weekend, but his background in economics still lends him a cold and clinical air rarely seen in the passion-fuelled world of football.

So when Wenger reflected on his side's runaway title success after Sunday's memorable 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane, his conclusions spoke volumes for what Arsenal have achieved over the last nine months.

"We have won the championship without losing a game," said the Gunners boss as he sipped on a glass of celebratory water. "That for me is a tremendous achievement. I'm not sure we will see it again."

Not exactly shouting and screaming from the rooftops but, for someone whose restraint and intellect has made a mockery of Sir Alex Ferguson's hamfisted attempts at mind games, that is as close as you're going to get to a declaration of Arsenal's brilliance.

And brilliance is the right word because, from the very first weekend of the season, Arsenal have set about turning this season's title race into something of a procession.

The statistics speak for themselves. Arsenal are ten points ahead of Chelsea and 11 points ahead of Manchester United - both teams tipped to finish above them at the start of the season.

They are on course to become the first team to go through an entire top-flight season unbeaten since Preston in 1888-89 and, if they win their four remaining games, they will break the previous record Premiership points haul that was set by Manchester United in 1994 when the league had two more teams.

But statistics are a dry measure of a team's success. Football is about more than simply amassing points and part of the reason why this Arsenal side are worthy of particular praise is the flair and finesse they bring to the field every time they line up.

Think back to the indelible images of this Premiership season and most will revolve around Arsenal's flamboyant Frenchman, Thierry Henry.

The arrowing strike that screamed into the Highbury net to beat Manchester City, the mazy run that tormented the Liverpool defence on Good Friday, or the instinctive flick that earned his fourth goal against Leeds as he tumbled to the turf.

Every great side needs a great player and, at the age of just 26, PFA Player of the Year Henry has earned his place amongst the pantheon of football's leading lights.

His 29 Premiership goals have paved the way to title success but, while it would be interesting to see how Arsenal fared were Henry to be sidelined for a couple of months next season, Wenger's champions have won the title as a team.

Robert Pires has been the most prolific attacking midfielder in the country with an incredible 19 goals and Dennis Bergkamp has reached heights most felt were beyond him at the age of 34.

Patrick Vieria has once again been a midfield colossus while, in defence, 23-year-old Kolo Toure has improved more than any other player in the league to emerge as a world-class centre-half.

They have combined to produce an Arsenal side head and shoulders above any other team in the Premiership, but it is important to remember that there have been similarly great sides in the past.

Arsenal's three-time champions from the 1930s, Tottenham's European heroes from 1962, Don Revie's Leeds lionhearts from the 1970s, Liverpool's dream team from the early 1980s, and Manchester United's treble winners from 1999 - all sides who can lay claim to being the best there has ever been.

Some have argued that Arsenal's lack of success on the European stage prevents them from being part of that list.

This month's Champions League defeat to Chelsea undoubtedly cast a shadow over Arsenal's season, and the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United suggested something of an Achilles heel amidst the hurly-burly of knockout competition.

But there is always next year on that score and perhaps, more than anything else, that underlines why this Arsenal side deserve all the plaudits that are currently coming their way.

With Bergkamp and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann the only first-team players over the age of 30, there is every chance of them raising the bar even higher next year.

Quite a thought - and one that should have every true football fan licking their lips this summer.