The one data point that makes Arsenal so extraordinary this season

Arsenal are top of the Premier League at the midway point of the season and are on pace to reach 100 points, equalling the highest-ever points total in the league. At the rate they're going, they'll pass last year's points total before the end of March. It's a remarkable feat for a side that had not finished in the top four since 2016, and it marks a steady progression under Mikel Arteta: eighth to fifth to first.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Yet while he and the players are, rightly, getting tons of plaudits and will likely be rewarded with contracts and bonuses, the Kroenkes, who own the club, might want to consider a bonus pot for another part of their staff: the…