Arsenal would have taken this at the start of the season. Yet, Mikel Arteta finds himself in crisis-management mode again, desperately trying to avoid the disappointment of missing out on Champions League football.
The fact the Spaniard even put his team in the driving seat for fourth place up until a week ago was a remarkable achievement. But back-to-back defeats to Crystal Palace and Brighton have left dark clouds hanging over the Emirates again and sparked fears that this is yet another false dawn.
