Many Arsenal fans may have thought sporting director Edu was being overly optimistic when it emerged that he had earmarked the 2022/23 campaign as the season Arsenal must return to the top four.
The end of the previous season had brought such heartache, with the Gunners occupying the much-coveted fourth spot with three games to go before a spectacular capitulation saw local rivals Tottenham leapfrog them into the Champions League qualification places.
Try as they might, few members of the Arsenal faithful could forget that miserable night at St. James' Park, where a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle all but confirmed it would be more Europa League football for Mikel Arteta's men. The fall-out was anything but pretty, with high-profile pundits like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher admitting they 'feared' for Arteta's reign in response to the result.
While many would have assumed everyone associated with Arsenal was spending the off-season feeling sorry for themselves and wondering where it all went wrong, Edu was actually laying bare his long-term vision for the club to the media.
Speaking to The Athletic while in Orlando as part of Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States, Edu opened up on his relationship with Arteta while raising the stakes for the campaign that was about to come.
"He [Arteta] showed me he has a very clear idea of how he wants to play football, which again helps us to make decisions. Now he's going to make the club's life easier," the former Brazilian international explained.
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"Then I give to the club a five-year plan. I said to Mikel and to the board: 'Guys, 2022-23 will be the season we're going to be much better. We have to be patient… It would be impossible to take everyone out and put everyone in, we need a process to do that."
It is unclear, though unlikely if Arsenal's current form was down to appear so soon on Edu's five-year plan. The 44-year-old recalled how he told the board how the Gunners would be 'much better' this season, but surely not even he could have predicted this?
The hangover from last season's last-gasp self-destruction has been non-existent and instead, Arsenal have stunned everyone by taking 40 points from their first 15 games. The Gunners sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, boasting a healthy lead over nearest challengers and reigning champions Manchester City.
Arteta's troops have tasted defeat just once, away at Manchester United in a game that many would argue they were the better side in. A draw away at Southampton is their only other blemish, registering impressive victories over the likes of big-six rivals Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea.
While the Arsenal manager penned a contract extension in the spring of this year, make no mistake there was a significant amount of pressure on Arteta to right the wrongs of last season - something that was made clear by Edu's decision to go public with his plans for this season.
In the face of that same pressure, Arteta has stepped up and then some.
Tasked with achieving Champions League qualification this season, it now seems unfathomable Arsenal don't end up in the top four. The surprising reality is, the Gunners are going for something far greater.
That new goal is of course a first Premier League title in just shy of two decades, the last coming in Arsenal's unforgettable 'Invincibles' campaign of 2003/04.
Only Edu knows if he had that jotted down anywhere in his five-year plan.
