Arsene Wenger: Coming of Age is Reason behind Arsenal's Resurgence

Arsene Wenger believes that their title charge this season has been helped by the fact that the players have grown up as individuals, something which they have missed over their last eight trophy-less years.

The Gunners are currently top of the table going into 2014 and have acquired the most number of points among all teams vying for the title. Arsenal end 2013 on 82 points, five points ahead of their title rivals and the Gunners need to keep their form going till May if they have to have any chance of winning the title.

Their win against Newcastle was creditable and the manager will be pleased at the way his team has responded. The north London club did not create any chance of note but still managed to score a goal of a set-piece to take three well deserving points.

Wenger also believes that the Gunners have grown mentally and their performance in the last three games against Chelsea, West Ham and Newcastle testify to the fact. The Gunners have managed to take seven points from a possible nine and after losing to Napoli and Manchester City in quick succession, Wenger is enthusiastic about the resilience shown by his team.

"For years we were younger [and less able] to resist this kind of pressure but we have always been up there at the top. If you analyse well our results we have always been up there. Last year in this period we were out of the title race but 2013 we have been quite consistent," Wenger told www.arsenal.com.

"There is something in the team that is special on the mental front where we have many times been questioned. But we have shown that at West Ham when we were 1-0 down, we have shown that again today when we were a bit backs to the wall in the last 15 minutes. There's a great solidarity and a great spirit in the side," he concluded.