Arsenal slumped to only their second defeat of the season as they were outclassed by PSV Eindhoven in their penlutimate Europa League group game.
Joey Veerman and Luuk de Jong both netted in a dominant second-half display from the hosts - the Dutch side also having three goals ruled out for offside offences.
Defeat leaves Mikel Arteta 's men still needing points to qualify as group winners and avoid what could be an extremely tricky play-off to reach the next round of the competition.
Here are Mirror Sport 's talking points from the showdown at the Phillips Stadion as Arsenal failed to overcome the Dutch side.
Offside flag causes havoc in Holland
Ruud van Nistelrooy and his PSV players will surely not be adding the linesman or VAR to their Christmas card lists after a hugely frustrating first-half.
The Dutch side twice thought they had taken the lead. Cody Gakpo at first raced through and saw his chipped effort loop over Aaron Ramsdale but the offside flag very quickly saw his celebrations cut short.
Simons was the next to find the net as he jinked into the Arsenal area with a sumptuous display of skill but an offside some way earlier in the move saw VAR intervene. The 19-year-old was still displaying his angst minutes after the incident and even had a consoling arm put around him by Gunners defender Rob Holding at the half-time whistle.
The offside flag continued to be at the heart of the dramatics as Gakpo had a second strike ruled out.
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Gakpo quiet amid transfer interest
There is no doubt that Dutch forward Gakpo is one of the most talented players in the Bundesliga - his haul of 13 goals and as many assists vouching for that. There is certainly a reason why the Gunners and Premier League rivals Manchester United were strongly linked with a move for his services.
However, he wasn't quite able to display his immense promise across his two appearances against Arsenal. Away from his two offside goals, the 23-year-old had a quiet evening having also struggled last week at the Emirates Stadium.
Those somewhat underwhelming displays are unlikely to put off any potential suitors but Gakpo will likely feel slightly disappointed that he could not make more of an impression.
De Jong transforms PSV
Despite Gakpo being somewhat on the quiet side, the same cannot be said of former Newcastle and Barcelona striker De Jong. The 32-year-old completely transformed the PSV attack after he was brought on at the break.
He at first showed great strength and intelligence to tee-up Veerman for the opener - the latter thundering past Ramsdale. He then got the better of the Arsenal keeper to get his name on the scoresheet. De Jong could well have had a second as his powerful header flew just wide from a free-kick.
Usually, it is Arteta's substitutions that make the difference for Arsenal but they could simply do nothing about the PSV striker on the night.
Gunners in line for testing play-off
Whilst Arsenal have already guaranteed that they will be progressing from the group, there is still the possibility of an extremely difficult play-off in which to reach the next round.
The side that finishes second - which could still be the Gunners or PSV - will go into a two-legged showdown with an eliminated Champions League side. Among those contenders could potentially be the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Ajax, Juventus and Europa League experts Sevilla.
They need to either match or better PSV's result next week in order qualify as group winners and avoid that fate.
Arsenal attack continues to stutter
Arsenal have certainly earned plenty of plaudits this season - and justifiably so - but there are a few worrying signs developing for Arteta's troops.
The miserable defeat in Eindhoven marks the first time that they have failed to find the net since the infamous 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United last term. It also means that the Gunners have not scored more than one goal in a single game in any of their last five outings in all competitions.
Should Arteta hope to continue his side's impressive form, he must find a way to get his attack fit and firing once more.
Old Xhaka reappears to hand Gunners brutal blow
Another man that has sparkled for Arsenal so far this season has been Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. He has shone throughout the vast majority of the campaign, with his experience and new-found composure having garnered plenty of praise.
He let his teammates down late on though as an unsavoury incident with Simons saw the midfielder attempt to push the midfielder off the pitch following his substitution. Xhaka, the aggressor, was awarded a yellow card for his actions and will now miss out on a key game next week through suspension with the Gunners of course attempting to win the group.
