Mikel Arteta didn't pull any punches after Manchester City thrashed Arsenal 5-0 back in August.
After watching his side suffer a humiliating Premier League defeat, which was their third in a row, the Spaniard admitted: “I am more critical of myself and take the blame every single time we had defeats. I question myself and I have to look at every decision I make and change it if we think we should have done something different.
“It is time to reflect and look in the mirror, each of us, and try to change the dynamic straight away because we need to pick up results. A lot has happened in the last three weeks and we are in a difficult position.
But fast forward four months and Arteta is no longer questioning himself, having completely transformed Arsenal into a free-flowing attacking side who played City at their own game on Saturday - and they were unfortunate to suffer a last-gasp 2-1 defeat.
So what has Arteta - who was forced to watch the match from home after contracting Covid for a second time - changed since that City thrashing? Mirror Football takes a look...
Signing of the season
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Arsenal were seen as a laughing stock after forking out £30million to bring Aaron Ramsdale to the Emirates last summer.
Bernd Leno was the undisputed No.1 at the time and eyebrows were raised when the Gunners progressed with their plans to sign Ramsdale, who had suffered back-to-back relegations with Bournemouth and Sheffield United.
Leno was between the sticks for the 5-0 loss but that performance ultimately persuaded Arteta to throw Ramsdale into his line-up, with the goalkeeper making his debut in the following game against Norwich.
He hasn't looked back since, becoming an integral part of the Gunners XI and also earning fans' favourite status in north London.
Jamie Carragher recently picked Ramsdale as his 'signing of the season' so far and he showed his importance again with a solid display against the title leaders on Saturday.
In fairness, he was rarely tested by City and was unfortunate that the goals he conceded were a penalty and then a close-range Rodri finish - but Ramsdale can hold his head high.
Ripping up the defence
When Arsenal were thumped by City at the beginning of the season, Arteta was clearly still working out his best squad.
You only have to look at his five-man defence at the Etihad to realise that; Cedric Soares, Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney were the unfortunate stars to leak five goals.
Arteta eventually bolstered his defensive ranks with several signings in the summer window - and only left-back Tierney kept his spot for Saturday's encounter.
The Spaniard opted for a four-man defence against Pep Guardiola's side this time, with Takehiro Tomiyasu coming in at right-back while Gabriel partnered Ben White in the middle.
Indeed, Arteta has finally found his preferred defence and it paid off, with the Gunners' producing a spirited performance to avoid a repeat of that humiliating loss.
Things did turn sour, however, when Gabriel received his marching orders for two needless yellow cards - and he'll now miss the crunch north London derby with Tottenham later this month.
No-nonsense approach
In the months between the two City matches, Arteta has shown that he is no pushover.
Perhaps the biggest example of that is the saga surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy last month.
The Gabonese striker has been left out by his manager since that disciplinary breach, with Arteta's team picking up a succession of league wins in his absence.
Aubameyang led the line as the lone striker in City's 5-0 win, as Arteta went for a 5-4-1 formation, but the boss refused to play it safe on Saturday - and he was rewarded for his no-nonsense approach.
Opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation, Alexandre Lacazette played just ahead of Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, who opened the scoring with a fine finish in the first half.
It is to Arteta's credit that he has made bold decisions and opted to adapt his approach; Saturday's performance was a remarkable improvement from their embarrassment at the Etihad.
