Arsenal's summer transfer business sparked plenty of debate with often large sums being splashed on young, unproven players.
Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga and Takehiro Tomiyasu were all brought in for a combined total of £142 million as Mikel Arteta looked to refresh the club.
It was a bold move, one that was canned by many Arsenal fans as misguided, but as we enter the third international break of the season, it is beginning to pay off.
The Gunners endured a torrid start to the campaign, losing their first three matches in the Premier League without scoring a goal.
But they have not lost any of their last 10 matches in all competitions, a run that has seen them climb to fifth in the Premier League table. Just two points now separate them from the Champions League places.
Whether you believe Arteta is a viable long-term option as Arsenal manager or that Edu is the right man to oversee the club's activities, there is no doubt that their summer activities have been vindicated for the time being.
It was a window that marked a significant departure from the policies of Arsene Wenger's reign.
The Gunners' legend remained cautious in each window, not wanting to disrupt the harmony in the dressing room. As such, he set out to sign no more than three new faces in a transfer window.
Explaining his policy in December 2015, Wenger said: "Firstly [the demand for new signings] is most of the time to calm anxiety for the fans. It is reassuring to have a big name come in and, secondly, the media put you under pressure to get a new name.
"But let’s not forget that football is as well about cohesion, about stability. That goes a little bit against the demand of what people want, but I still think success is linked with talent and cohesion.
"You need competition, and competition exists if the numbers are not too short or not too big. When the number is too big, there is no competition anymore and it goes against the interests of the team."
