Arsenal put in the kind of performance against Nottingham Forest that will ease fears that the wheels were starting to come off after a few shaky displays in recent weeks.
The Gunners suffered just their second defeat of the season last Thursday away at PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League but bounced back in emphatic style with a 5-0 hammering of Forest at the Emirates. That's not to say everything went off without a hitch, as main-man Bukayo Saka limped out of action in the first-half after one too many rough challenges.
A collective groan of frustration was let out around the Emirates when the number seven went up on the fourth officials electronic board, such is level of reliance on the young England international in the red half of North London.
It is the same reason boss Mikel Arteta wanted to bolster his options in Saka's position last summer, but failed to land any deal beyond the one for the inexperienced Marquinhos, who has plenty of learning to do before he can be viewed as a regular option in the Premier League.
Former Leeds man Raphinha was thought to be the Gunners ideal candidate, but they were pipped to the post by Barcelona. Wolves winger Pedro Neto emerged as a back-up target, but the young Portugal international ended up staying put at the Molineux.
It prompted plenty of disappointment from the expectant Arsenal faithful, but Arteta may have had his perfect Saka deputy under his nose the entire time. After the 21-year-old hobbled off against Forest with the score still 1-0 to the Gunners, he was replaced by fellow Hale End academy graduate Reiss Nelson.
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The England Under-21 international started off operating like a man who hadn't featured in the Premier League for quite some time, but quickly settled and just seven minutes into the second half Nelson had managed to bag himself a brace.
The first showcased the wide-forward's impressive dribbling ability as he made enough space inside the opposition penalty area to get a shot off that was saved but still have sufficient time to lash the rebound into the top corner.
Nelson's second displayed the kind of penalty box prowess Gabriel Jesus could with at the moment, given the Brazilian is now without a goal since the derby day victory over Tottenham on October 1.
It was Jesus who set up Nelson's second, playing an inviting ball across the face of the Forest goal for his Gunners colleague to prod home.
There was once a time when Nelson was widely regarded as the most promising talent in the Arsenal youth set-up, but loan spells at both Hoffenheim and Feyenoord failed to really spark his career into life. All the while, Saka was overtaking him in terms of their respective standings at the Emirates.
While that may not change any time soon, Nelson can start to get plenty more minutes under his belt at his boyhood club instead of another loan spell or permanent exit - two things that at stages last summer seemed the most likely option.
