After a run of seven Premier League matches without a victory, Arsenal have pulled the curtain down on 2020 in style.
Firstly, the Gunners finally got themselves back on track with an impressive 3-1 Boxing Day win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium before securing another three-point haul against Brighton on Tuesday evening.
A second half strike from Alexandre Lacazette, who found the back of the net just seconds after stepping off the bench, sealed a 1-0 win for the north London outfit, ensuring they moved seven points clear of the relegation places.
A second win in the space of just four days has significantly eased the pressure on manager Mikel Arteta, who will now be hoping to see his side maintain their winning run when they travel to relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion on Saturday evening.
Although Lacazette's two goals and a speculative free-kick from Granit Xhaka have been key in the Gunners' mini revival, it is Arteta's young stars who have, seemingly, made all the difference.
After spells on the sidelines through injury troubles, both Emile Smith Rowe and Brazilian sensation Gabriel Martinelli have repaid the faith shown in them by Arteta by starring in the wins over Chelsea and Brighton. They have both been central to the Gunners' upturn in fortunes, adding extra sparks and flashes of quality to their attacking play.
As well as those two stamping their authority on proceedings, Bukayo Saka, who has been a mainstay in the Arsenal team so far this term, has also been outstanding, scoring one goal and claiming one assist in the last two matches.
Though Arsenal will be in need of adding fresh faces to the squad in next month's transfer window, Arteta will take comfort from the fact that some of his younger players, who are the future of the football club, are already showcasing their talents at such a young age.
Admittedly, the results against Chelsea and Brighton do little to cover up the torrid run the Gunners have been on recently, but they are steps in the right direction.
With that in mind, though, Arteta now has to stick by his young players, who are clearly playing for the shirt and leaving everything out on the pitch.
And that was proven true following the full-time whistle at the AMEX Stadium. Although Arsenal didn't have any of their supporters to celebrate their first Premier League away win since November 1 with, the players, particularly the younger ones, were spotted embracing each other at the end of the game and celebrating a second successive win.
In a video shared on Arsenal's reddit page, the club's young players, including the likes of Saka and Martinelli, can be spotted hugging each other and really celebrating the victory, portraying just how much the win meant to them.
Of course, it is only early days in the careers of these young players, but they are great signs of promise for Arteta, as not only does he have young players who are willing to die for the shirt, but he also has players who could save the club a lot of money in the transfer market in years to come.
Admittedly, new faces are needed in some areas, but the recent performances of some of his young Gunners could force Arteta into possibly tweaking his plans for the January transfer window.
