Arteta has turned Arsenal into a team of grown men as they hope it is third time lucky

Arsenal sides during the Emirates Stadium era have often been described in pretty similar ways. 

Adjectives such as 'soft', 'weak' and 'fragile' used to follow Arsene Wenger teams around like a shadow, normally after punishing defeats at the hands of rival sides. 

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney famously described the Gunners as lacking 'cojones'. Perhaps a harsh and unnecessary comment, but realistically, he had a point.

An 8-2 loss to Manchester United and a 6-0 defeat at Chelsea in Wenger's 1000th match were particular low points, as Arsenal became a team that opposition players no longer feared.

And that is because Arsenal didn't possess any players that were worthy of being feared.

And I don't mean feared because of their quality. Arsenal had plenty of quality over the years. Cesc Fabregas, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are certainly footballers who belong somewhere near the upper echelons of football discourse.

Simply put, Arsenal didn't have players with the type of personality, character or physical build that should be feared. They were brittle at the back, never up for the fight and humiliated in important matches.

Look back at some of the great Premier League teams. Their spines exuded dominance and authority. 

The Arsenal Invincibles had Sol Campbell, Gilberto Silva, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. 

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea teams possessed John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Claudio Makelele, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa - to name just a few.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United were filled to the brim with players with bold personalities; Roy Keane being the epitome of everything I am describing.

Even though Pep Guardiola's Manchester City sides of the past haven't always been made up of the most physically imposing players, a Vincent Kompany or a Fernandinho was always somewhere to be found.

And Arteta was perspicacious enough to work that out very quickly. In fact, he has seemingly doubled down on it.

During his almost five-year tenure at the Emirates, Arteta has transformed the make-up of the Gunners on the pitch, and the last year has seen a team shaped in the image of what the Spaniard believes a title-winning team should be.

The utterly impeccable centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, with Declan Rice patrolling ahead of them, has given Arsenal a resilient, hardened, more imposing core.

Spending £105 million on Rice last summer raised some eyebrows, but he was exactly the type of player that Arsenal lacked.

A physical monster with freakish recovery abilities. A high-octane athlete who eats up the ground.

But also a leader. During the season prior, he guided West Ham to Europa Conference League glory as captain of the team, being named player of the tournament in the process. He is someone with the personality to make his mark on the game.

This was showcased by some of the late goals he scored in his first season at Arsenal: crucial stoppage-time winners against Manchester United and Luton.

So creating this solid defensive foundation reaped rewards for Arsenal at the back. They had the lowest expected goals against (xGA) in the Premier League (31.78), and conceded the least number of goals (29).

Converting centre-back Ben White into one of the best right-backs in the league has also given the Gunners more athleticism in defence, while six foot four inches Kai Havertz has become Arsenal's centre forward.

And Arteta hasn't stopped there.

During this transfer window, the Spaniard signed Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna. Despite playing more often in the heart of defence, it is expected that he will start at left-back.

Another commanding athlete at six foot two inches comes into the team, at the expense of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is five foot nine inches and more of a technician.

Arteta recently spoke about Calafiori, and was keen to stress the aspects that stood out to him.

"I saw something different - an aura, a charisma, a presence that was not only related to his skill," he said, 

"He was 21 at the time, and he was doing things and reacting to things in a way a 21-year-old normally doesn't."

A player who not only fits the bill in regard to his talent, but also his personality.

Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino looks to be the next player coming in the door.

A six foot two inches central midfielder known for his aggression and duel-winning ability, as well as possessing technical security, feels like almost the perfect player for this Arsenal team.  

No player won more duels in LaLiga last season (326), including the second most aerial duels (160), showcasing his additional prowess in the air.

He will fit Arteta's system like a glove, and will also further contribute to Arsenal's threat from set-pieces, which has improved exponentially under specialist coach, Nicolas Jover.

Despite claims that Arsenal needed a top-class striker, they ended the season with 91 goals, second to only Manchester City's 96. Arsenal scored 22 times from set pieces - just under a quarter of their overall total.

With the additions of Calafiori and Merino, they are likely to have seven players in the starting XI who are six foot one inch or over, meaning they should be even more of a threat from dead-ball situations.

From a team that had a reputation for being bullied and easy to run over, Arsenal have become a unit that leans on their solidity and formidable defence, all thanks to Mikel Arteta. There is far more pragmatism on show.

With tough away wins at Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as four points taken against both Manchester City and Liverpool last season, they have become an outfit that can now go toe to toe with the big teams.

But they need more. This season, they must further improve and narrow the fine margins that exist if they want to solve the major conundrum that is Manchester City. 

And they are capable of that. This is no longer one of their spineless teams of yesteryear. 

They finally sit on the precipice of history, and Arsenal fans will be desperately hoping that it is third time lucky for Arteta's team of grown men.