After being decimated by the earthquake that was their start to the Premier League season, Arsenal are slowly starting to win again.
Back-to-back 1-0 victories over Norwich and Burnley combined with safe passage into the Carabao Cup fourth round courtesy of a 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon have done a fair amount to restore the confidence around the Emirates, but you get the feeling that there are plenty who still aren't convinced.
To truly win the doubters over Mikel Arteta needs a landmark victory that he can point to as evidence of progress in the right direction.
What better opportunity could there be then, than a North London Derby at home to Tottenham?
The Gunners' steady resurgence has been largely built on a defensive solidity that has been found in their new look back line.
Key to that has been the charisma and confidence of Aaron Ramsdale who will surely keep his place in goal despite reports Bernd Leno could return.
In front of the England under-21 international has been a quickly formed youthful defence who already look far more in tune with the manager's message than anything we've seen in the past few years.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney were all rested against Wimbledon in midweek and barring any last minute injury problems, you would assume that they will resume their partnership that is still yet to concede a goal.
In midfield though is where things become more difficult for Arteta.
In recent matches the Spaniard has finally imposed his preferred 4-3-3 formation upon the Arsenal side, with Thomas Partey playing superbly as the number six, and Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe operating either side of the Ghanaian as 'free eights'.
The system has yielded two victories but the question has to be asked over how it can be squared with the return of Granit Xhaka from suspension.
The Swiss international has shown time and again that he doesn't have the awareness to play on his own in a deep lying midfield role and has himself admitted that he prefers the game in front of him.
This would seemingly rule him out of playing the Partey 'six' position.
However, when it comes to the mobility required to operate in either of the more attacking midfield positions, Xhaka is once again lacking.
Bringing the 28-year-old back into the starting line up would surely require a formation change if we are to see the best from him, and so the choice falls upon Arteta to decide whether he will stick with the winning formula of a 4-3-3 or revert to a 4-2-3-1 in order to accommodate the man he gave a contract extension to just last month.
History dictates the Spaniard will opt for the latter.
Such a decision would impact how the front line is set up meaning that one of Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard or Emile Smith Rowe would have to miss out.
Last time out against Spurs playing Smith Rowe on the left with Tierney overlapping and Saka over on the right combining with Odegaard as a 10 in the right half spaces worked a treat as Arsenal eventually overcame Jose Mourinho's side.
It would be harsh on Pepe, but Arteta may be tempted to go for this again.
In the number nine role Alexandre Lacazette has an impressive record against Tottenham to go with his two goals from three appearances this season, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will surely be given the nod provided the Gabon international allows for traffic when travelling to the stadium this time.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Tottenham: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang.
