Mikel Arteta is under a blanket of pressure for the first time this season and has questions to answer after the Gunners dropped points twice in one week.
Although on its own, the 1-1 draw against Southampton and 2-0 loss to PSV Eindhoven make very little difference. They are still top of the table and in a commanding position to finish top of their Europa League group - the slight dip in results and performances has prompted concerns.
It is more born out of delay than genuine worry that Arsenal have fallen off. If Arsenal were five points back in the league and looking up, then these two games may have slipped under the radar. Such has been their unexpected ascent on the league table though, certain people have been waiting to be proved right and will jump at any chance.
READ MORE: Arsenal handed potential Europa League boost despite Granit Xhaka suspension and PSV loss
The reality is somewhere in the middle. Keeping up a rate of nine wins in 11 matches in the league and four from four in Europe is always unsustainable, but the timing comes amid increased fixture pressure. For Joe Cole, he believes that the questions for Arteta are unwanted at this busy stage of the season.
"When Mikel shows that to his players and the details and the fundamentals - if they nailed that down, they come away with a point or three. There are more questions than answers tonight," he said after the match. "I don't want to be too critical of this group of players because they've been very enjoyable but today is a reminder that there's still work to do and a way to go."
His co-pundit for the game, Martin Keown, also didn't want to be too harsh but did reveal the area that the Gunners still fall short in. "I don't want this to derail his team - five people missing and five subs on. Strength in depth not quite there, but as long as they can learn from that, they'll use this as fuel going into the Forest game."
Arsenal have so far been able to rotate between Premier League and Europa League games effectively and are still in a strong position to do so. If they beat Zurich at home, they will still top the group and avoid a play-off against Champions League sides that drop down. This would not only keep them in the competition for longer, but it would also reduce the amount of games after Christmas in an already condensed season.
When speaking about the poor first half, Keown also picked out Gabriel Martinelli for criticism. "I am a big fan of Martinelli, but he has had an off night. So often, they were picking the wrong pass and not identifying the movement. It was falling down at the last minute, and we have been so used to this Arsenal team flowing this season, but just not on this occasion."
The Brazilian has been one of the best players of the season so far but struggled in the Netherlands.
READ NEXT:
What Jordan Henderson said to Gabriel Magalhaes during Arsenal win vs Liverpool amid FA findings
Arsenal experiment with Fabio Vieira goes wrong as Mikel Arteta must rethink £34m investment
Arsenal suffer fresh injury blow following Europa League defeat as Gabriel Magalhaes 'limps' off
Arsenal defender Pablo Mari posts photo and health update from hospital after Italy knife attack
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
