Mikel Arteta kicked off October by masterminding a win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby. Fast forward a month and he could inadvertently play a role in Arsenal's rivals being eliminated from the Champions League.
It's come down to matchday six in Group D to determine which two teams will qualify for the last-16 and who will finish third - thus transferring to the Europa League and potentially setting up a knockout play-off fixture against the Gunners when the competition resumes in the new year.
As things stand, any one of Spurs, Sporting Lisbon, Eintracht Frankfurt or Marseille can reach the Champions League knockout phase. In fact, Antonio Conte's side know they just need a point to secure their place alongside the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in next Monday's draw.
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But they are facing a Marseille team that must win to advance to the last-16 stage and there is an interesting Arsenal-related sub-plot ahead of the game at the Stade Velodrome. Firstly, former Gunners forward Alexis Sanchez has said it will give him "great joy" to knock Tottenham out of the Champions League.
"I have great affection for Arsenal from my time there. I have some great memories with everyone at the club, especially the fans," he told reporters during a pre-match press conference. "Beating Spurs every time was a great joy. It was very special and those are memories that I hold dear to my heart.
"Every single player has motivation to play and win. We all want to bring the victory back. In the dressing room, there is a lot of passion. Playing in front of the fans with their atmosphere is super important and that will drive us on. We want to progress, and we are working to do so. I’m here to be victorious for the team, playing for the fans, that pushes us on."
And Sanchez is not the only player with Arsenal connections at Marseille aiming to eliminate Spurs from the Champions League. Sead Kolasniac made the move to France in the January transfer window, Matteo Guendouzi sealed a permanent transfer in the summer following a successful loan spell last season and Nuno Tavares is spending the campaign with the Ligue 1 outfit.
It won't be lost on any Gunners supporter that three former players and one currently contracted to the club can turn Tottenham's Champions League dream into a nightmare tonight. It's something that adds a little extra spice to the fixture and sets up the chance for Arteta to have the last laugh.
Just under six months ago, Arsenal's hopes of sealing a return to the Champions League after a five-year absence was dealt a huge blow as they suffered a 3-0 loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and ultimately they were pipped to a top-four finish by their bitter rivals.
But the fact that if the team that Arteta let Kolasinac join on a free transfer at the beginning of the year, sold Guendouzi and loaned Nuno Tavares to win tonight it means Spurs will finish third in their Group and end up joining Arsenal in the Europa League after Christmas.
With that said, there is somewhat of a problem with this plan. Marseille are not in great form at the moment, they are without a win in four - losing three - let a 2-0 lead slip at the weekend to draw with Strasbourg, and have only won two of their last nine home games in the Champions League.
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