How quickly things can change in football.
In May of this year, following defeats by fierce rivals Tottenham and Newcastle, Arsenal's hopes of at long last returning to the Champions League were demolished in dramatic fashion. The Gunners were five points clear in fourth with three games to go but capitulated at the most crucial stage.
This collapse sparked an onslaught of predictions from pundits fearing the worst for Arsenal, with many casting doubt as to whether Mikel Arteta would be able to oversee the huge task of trying to get those same players to put the disastrous end to the campaign behind them in time for next term.
