Arsenal November curse: The incredible stats that show the Gunners could be about to derail in their Premier League title bid

BEWARE Arsenal fans - November is here.

Arsene Wenger's team sit second in the Prem table only on goal difference, while victory over Ludogorets on Tuesday could see them in the Champions League last-16 for the 17th season running.

With a hot start in the books, fans are once again dreaming of getting their hands on the top flight title for the first time since the 'Invincibles' put together an incredible campaign in 2003-04.

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But before you get too ahead of yourselves, remember the old hoodoo that beguiles Arsenal Football Club?

That's right, the dreaded curse of November.

Historically, Wenger and Co have struggled mightily in the 11th month of the year and not just once or twice, but over and over again.

In fact, since the French boss took over the reins at Highbury all the way back in 1996, Arsenal have picked up just 1.59 points per game overall through all Novembers - with a win rate of just 47 per cent.

While not horrendous on the surface, it is far and away the worst month on the footballing calendar for Wenger's side.

Considering the second-worst is August at a positively sky-high 1.88, it speaks volumes for the struggles the north Londoners endure in the final month of Autumn.

On the other end of the spectrum, Wenger enjoys March, October and September most, racking up a whopping 2.18, 2.15 and 2.14 points per game respectively.

In 19 full seasons at Arsenal, Wenger has won the Premier League an impressive three times - in 1997-98, 2001-02 and 2003-04.

However, all too often, his title-challenging Gunners have faltered drastically in November, all but throwing away the title.

In fact, in no fewer than 11 seasons have Arsenal succumbed to an incredibly poor 11th month of the calendar year.

During those campaigns, Wenger and Co have picked up fewer points per game through the month than in the season average.

So, back to the beginning... Arsenal are having a great start to the season - but can they go on to win the league?

As we know, Arsenal will need to NOT falter in November, but will face some tricky competition.

Arsenal kick off the domestic month with a ferocious north London derby at home to Tottenham - also in solid form in 2016-17 so far.

The Gunners will also then take a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, before a home stint against Bournemouth - who won their last Premier League game 6-1 over Hull.

On top of that, Wenger's side will take on Ludogorets - whom they beat 6-0 on Wednesday night - and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, only adding to an already chock-a-block schedule.

And therein lies yet another problem.

Increased work-load often results in wear and tear in the squad - and Arsenal are no strangers to November injuries.

Through just the last ten seasons, the Gunners have suffered no fewer than 80 injuries in the month of November - including key players such as Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez.

With all the information taken into account, it seems fair to say that if Arsenal hold any hopes of winning their first Premier League title in over a decade they will need one thing...

...A successful - and healthy - November.

If they can survive the dreaded 'curse' in 2016-17, then their 13-year wait could finally be set to come to an end.