Manchester City are not the kind of side that can ever be described as 'there for the taking', but on Sunday they will pitch up at Arsenal without their two most influential players in Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, with a day's less rest and on the back on a defeat at Wolves which offered clues to their mortality.
There might never be a better time, at least in the Pep Guardiola era, for Arsenal to beat the champions — and a first League win over City since 2015 would be a significant psychological boost for the season ahead.
Arsenal, though, may go into Sunday afternoon's six-pointer without talisman Bukayo Saka, after he was forced off in the first half of last night's Champions League defeat here in Lens.
Saka was being assessed at London Colney today after feeling discomfort in a muscle, and if he is ruled out of one of the biggest games of Arsenal's season, it will leave boss Mikel Arteta facing uncomfortable questions of his own.
Last night was the third game running in which Saka has been forced off through injury, after taking blows in the League matches against Tottenham and Bournemouth, raising questions about the head coach's handling of his star player.
Saka has often appeared invincible and Arteta has consistently encouraged him to take the next step in his development by becoming the type of elite player who can be decisive at the highest level every three days.
The 22-year-old has made 87 consecutive League appearances for Arsenal — a club record — and has already played 683 minutes of a possible 720 in the Champions League and top flight this term.
When he was finally rested last season, for the visit of Leeds on April 1, he still played the final half-hour, despite Arsenal leading 3-0 at the time of his introduction — ensuring that he is the only player in the club's history to feature in every game across consecutive Premier League campaigns.
So how much football is too much?
Saka was plainly struggling with knocks in the build-up to the trip to France and there was a case, with City on the horizon, for Arteta to rest him — even if Lens's quality and the end result justified the Spaniard's refusal to be complacent.
Arteta has said Saka is now an experienced enough player "to understand when he's ready to help the team and when he's not" but the forward is the type of individual who will always put the collective before himself, evidenced by his willingness to play with a niggling Achilles problem last season.
The relentless schedule is putting strain on every player, let alone one like Saka, who covers more ground and takes more kicks than most, and — as Arteta has acknowledged — Arsenal may need to start protecting their prized asset.
There is a case, however, that Arteta's Arsenal have become overly-reliant on Saka — perhaps understandably so.
His assist for Gabriel Jesus's opening goal, an unerring finish into the bottom corner, means he is the first player in Europe's top five leagues to wrack up five or more goals and assists so far this season, and Arsenal faded alarmingly after he was replaced by Fabio Vieira.
Kai Havertz and the returning Leandro Trossard were subdued, looking less of a threat in 70 minutes than Saka did in 30, while Martin Odegaard uncharacteristically failed to take hold of the game. Arsenal will need to show more life against City.
Saka's injury was the most concerning element of a chastening trip for Arteta, which included a delay of nearly five hours at Luton Airport on Monday night and a mistake by new first-choice goalkeeper David Raya.
The Spaniard, who was signed to be an upgrade on Aaron Ramsdale with the ball at his feet, lost possession with a poor pass and Adrien Thomasson equalised superbly after a deft touch by Elye Wahi. After the interval, 20-year-old Wahi — remember the name — scored a coolly-taken winner, no less than Lens deserved for a brave and energetic display in a roaring atmosphere.
In some respects, there is no better game for Arsenal to respond to a first setback of the season than a visit of the champions. Arteta's side will need no motivating in front of a home crowd, and should sense that City are not as infallible as they appeared on their two meetings last season.
Arsenal's hopes of a landmark result, however, will be significant reduced if Saka is not fit, leaving Arteta facing an anxious wait to discover how badly his gamble in starting the winger last night has backfired.
