Mikel Arteta finally has his Arsenal team and with that comes the end of any excuses - the Spaniard's time for adjusting to life as a manager is long gone, the £135m spent on six new recruits this summer represents a huge vote of faith from the club's hierarchy.
While the season begun in the most disastrous fashion as the opening three games saw a return of three losses, zero goals scored and nine conceded - the tide may be turning.
The mood around the club was particularly low at the end of August as a number of Arsenal stars split for international duty, yet as we approach the second break of the season - things look drastically different around London Colney.
Arsenal's last fixture prior to the first break came in the form of a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City, arguably the lowest point of Arteta's tenure.
By the time the next league outing against Norwich came around, five of the names that lined up at the Etihad had been dropped - all of them part of the Gunners defence as well as shot-stopper Bernd Leno.
While the omissions of Rob Holding, Cedric Soares and Sead Kolasinac against the Canaries hardly shocked the Gunners faithful, dropping Leno caused quite the stir.
Aaron Ramsdale's signing was met with backlash from Arsenal fans, who opposed the deal due to everything from the fee (£24m) to his ability between the sticks.
Therefore thrusting him into the thick of things with just one Carabao Cup appearance under his belt came as a surprise, but the reasons why Arteta was willing to meet Sheffield United's valuation were evident soon enough.
Ramsdale unlocks an entirely different tactical approach for Arteta, famed for him persistent tweaking and tendency to try and control every passage of play from his dug-out.
Though a good shot-stopper, Leno never fully grasped what was required of him with the ball at his feet - Ramsdale, however, has displayed the kind of technical prowess Arsenal have missed in midfield, never mind in goal.
The former Blades 'keeper has immediately given Arsenal a new way of beating the press, his high-risk passing style between the lines allowing the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka to turn defence into attack seamlessly.
Arteta will have adored Arsenal's second goal in the recent 3-1 North London derby victory, the move stemming from a risky Ramsdale pass before ending up in Hugo Lloris' net seconds later.
A new face in goal is not the only change Arsenal supporters have been delighted with, right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu has already become a fan favourite.
In an era of attacking full-backs who often leave a lot to be desired in terms of defending, Tomiyasu is a welcome throwback - yet to be dribbled past in his three Premier League outings.
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The aforementioned duo were both at their brilliant best against Spurs on Sunday.
Most notably when Harry Kane's low, driven attempt was parried by Ramsdale before Tomiyasu responded fastest, clearing his lines to prevent any chance of a rebound effort.
What followed surely brought a smile to even the most downbeat Arsenal fans as the pair enjoyed a chest-thumping embrace, such was their desperation to hang on for all three points.
As Arsenal gear up for the trip to Amex on Saturday evening, few fans would have predicted Ramsdale and Tomiyasu would be two of the first names on the team sheet.
