When Arsenal last won their first three League games & what happened next?

Arsenal have been infamously slow starters in recent years and often need to respond to early setbacks. They famously lost 8-2 to Manchester United in August 2011, but that's not the only occasion they've been required to bounce back from a bump in the road.

Last season, Mikel Arteta's side were bottom of the Premier League, having lost each of their opening three fixtures. To make matters worse, Tottenham sat top, having won their first three.

They recovered and finished just two points behind their north London rivals in the end, but those early dropped points ultimately cost them a top-four finish.

So it's a major step forward that Arsenal have maintained their 100% start are now nine points ahead of where they were at the same stage last term.

New faces William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus have started every game so far and the early evidence is that they've taken Arsenal up another level.

"Still far ," Gunners boss Arteta told Sky Sports following the 3-0 victory at Bournemouth.

"We had some strong periods. In the second half we conceded too many chances for Bournemouth. I'm proud, it's not easy to come here and win 3-0 but there are still things to prove.

"We started the game really well. We were dominant, precise. The two goals gave us a lot of confidence. Jesus was involved in the goals. His contribution to the team was outstanding."

So what does the superb start mean for Arsenal's prospects this season? We've taken a look at the only other two times they've won their opening three league matches in the Premier League era – and what happened next for those sides.

2003-04

The start of something great.

A 3-2 home loss to Leeds United in the run-in the season before was immensely painful for Arsenal. They used that as motivation and a catalyst for ensuring they wouldn't experience the bitter taste of defeat again for quite some time.

The 2003-04 season began in an inauspicious way, with Sol Campbell sent off after 25 minutes in the opener against Everton. The remaining 10 men went on to grind out a 2-1 win, which was an early indicator of their winning mentality that year. A 4-0 win at Middlesbrough followed, then a 2-0 home victory against Aston Villa.

Arsene Wenger had been roundly mocked for comments made in September 2002.

"It's not impossible to go through the season unbeaten and I can't see why it's shocking to say that," the Arsenal manager told reporters.

"Every manager thinks that but they don't say it because they're scared it would be ridiculous."

It proved not to be ridiculous. Arsenal maintained the standards they set at the beginning of the 2003-04 season and just kept going. And going. And going.

WWWWDDWWWDWWWDDWDWWDWWWWWWWWWDWDWDDDWW. Invincible.

2004-05

The Invincibles began their campaign to retain their Premier League title in fine fettle.

Wenger's men kicked off the 2004-05 season with an impressive 4-1 victory at Everton followed by a madcap 5-3 home win against Middlesbrough and a 3-0 win against Blackburn Rovers.

Veteran Gunners legend Dennis Bergkamp scored two in those three, while a youngster by the name of Cesc Fabregas was showing the future was bright by notching in the Blackburn win alongside Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes.

The free-scoring side extended that winning run to five, cruising past Norwich and Fulham, and took 25 points from the first 27 available. At that point, they looked well on their way to retaining the title.

Then came a trip to Old Trafford and one of the most ill-tempered and controversial defeats in Premier League history. Manchester United won 2-0, ending the Invincibles' unforgettable 49-match unbeaten streak.

Losing in Manchester precipitated a major wobble. Arsenal won just two of their next seven, and by that point Jose Mourinho's imperious Chelsea were in the driving seat. The Blues never let up, winning the title with a then-record 95 points and still-unbeaten and scarcely believable defensive record of just 15 goals conceded.

Wenger's Gunners finished runners up, 12 points behind. They did win the FA Cup, though.