It was curious to note the outraged external reaction to Arsenal's 1-0 win over Wolves last week.
"I didn’t see Arsenal celebrating like this in the past 10 years – it was like they won the league," said Ruben Neves of the jubilant full time scenes at Molineux.
To everyone associated with the Gunners though, it was the most natural thing in the world.
Of course there was joy at claiming a victory against the odds after being reduced to 10 men by Gabriel Martinelli's controversial red card, but to the travelling supporters these three points signalled much more. They signalled that the race for the top four was well and truly on.
Most would have baulked at any pre-season notion that Arsenal would be playing in next year's Champions League, particularly after their catastrophic opening day defeat to newly promoted Brentford.
But as the Bees prepare for the reverse fixture at the Emirates this Saturday, there appears to be something of a sting in the tail when it comes to the two team's fortunes.
Thomas Frank's side have not won in seven matches, while Arsenal have the chance to move within touching distance of the top four with a victory.
Mikel Arteta knows his side are favourites, but his insistence that they take the home stretch of the season "game by game" will surely mean they cannot lose focus ahead of a game that is so winnable any other result feels almost perilous.
Aaron Ramsdale will start in goal after seemingly shaking off his jittery January to put in a fine and focused performance at Molineux. The England keeper now has 11 clean sheets in the Premier League, fewer only than Ederson and Alisson, which, when you consider he did not start until September, is no mean feat.
Kieran Tierney and last Thursday's match winner Gabriel will both start in front of him, while Ben White will have something of a personal score to settle.
The England international was criticised mercilessly for his display on debut at the Brentford Community Stadium in August, with many claiming he lacked the fight and physicality to be an elite level defender.
Countless displays since then have shown that not to be the case, but if he is up against Ivan Toney - who is an injury doubt - then White will no doubt want to put things right this time around.
His job will be made a whole lot easier if Takehiro Tomiyasu is available to start to the right of him.
Considering the stick he often gets and that it was his first league start since August, it's worth noting that Cedric actually had a very good game against Wolves, but what caused Arsenal so many problems last time out was Brentford's brutal aerial bombardment.
Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers - who have both left the club since - could not cope on the night, but Tomiyasu is probably the Gunners' best defender in the air, and you would back him to stand up to the test.
Arteta has said that the Japan international "is in contention" after missing around a month with a calf problem, but after training with the first team despite the impact of storm Eunice, the hope will be that he can play, with Cedric perhaps returning to the side on Thursday if two games in four days is too much for him.
In midfield the partnership of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey resumed nicely at Molineux, if you can even necessarily call it a double pivot anymore.
Martin Odegaard will be operating in the right-leaning number 10 role and Bukayo Saka has to continue on the right after another impressive outing.
On the left though there is a decision to make.
Arteta has promised talks with the PGMOL after Martinelli's bizarre dismissal last Thursday, but that won't change the fact the in-form Brazilian is absent for this match.
In his place the two options to come in are Emile Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe.
Arteta appeared to lay down the gauntlet to Pepe in his pre-match press conference stating "We need him, we need him at his best. Everybody’s going to contribute because we are really short at this moment and we need it."
This weekend though it may be that Arsenal need him off the bench.
With his goalscoring form and impact on the Gunners side since his ascension from the youth teams, Smith Rowe has earned the right to be next in line after Martinelli.
The England international has an opportunity and knows he needs to take it if he wants to keep his place in the starting XI.
Up front Alexandre Lacazette doesn't have the same pressure for his starting position, but after admitting that he needs to be more clinical, the Frenchman will be hoping to address his dissapointing return in front of goal this season by netting on Saturday.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Brentford - Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette.
