The train is still moving, but it is beginning to feel a little too close to the edge.
Arsenal remain top of the Premier League with a win against Brighton, and have booked a place in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, yet neither achievement came with any real sense of ease.
Nerves have started to appear. Increased rotation, driven by load management and injuries, has had a substantial impact on performances.
The Gunners allowed just two shots in the first half against Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening, and none before the interval against Brighton on Saturday. However, in both games they conceded, leading to some tense finales in North London.
Own goals have surprisingly become a key source of assistance, with Maxence Lacroix and Georginio Rutter responsible for two of Arsenal’s four goals this week.
More concerning, however, is a growing habit of conceding late - a frustration that began three weeks ago with Emi Buendia’s stoppage-time winner that handed Aston Villa all three points at Villa Park.
Since then, Tolu Arokodare’s injury-time header almost cost a crucial three points against bottom-of-the-table Wolves, rescued only by an own goal from Yerson Mosquera, while Marc Guehi’s late strike on Tuesday dragged the tie to penalties.
But Arsenal have shown they can still grind out results when required, even if it isn’t pretty. Kepa Arrizabalaga emerged as the hero on Tuesday, ending a run of fifteen excellent penalties by denying Lacroix, securing a semi-final meeting with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
And with Manchester City breathing down their necks in the Premier League - and Diego Gomez’s goal causing plenty of stress on Saturday, the Gunners still managed to walk away with all three points.
The sign of encouragement is Arsenal’s chance creation this week. They took 25 shots against Palace and 24 against Brighton, with Mikel Arteta saying after the game that a statement win is not far away if that level of output continues.
Does patience remain the key with Gyokeres?
When Viktor Gyokeres stepped up and dispatched his penalty with conviction at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend, it felt like a familiar scene from a few seasons ago.
Kai Havertz was handed a similar opportunity from the spot at the Vitality Stadium and went on to score double figures.
For Gyokeres, the transition has been a very different and far more challenging one so far
There was an expectation for Havertz to begin the season leading the line while Gyokeres settled in, or for the duo to be used in tandem, but injuries have instead forced the 27-year-old into the starting role. Given the fee Arsenal paid, some would argue that it was inevitable.
Arteta has admitted that changes have been made in their approach to suit Gyokeres’ profile. The Swedish forward has proved valuable in drawing defenders with his direct runs, whether through the middle or drifting wide, creating space for Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left and Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke on the right.
But when chances have fallen directly to him, the profligacy that defined his game last season has been absent. On the rare occasions Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze have threaded him through on goal, Gyokeres has struggled to turn openings into goals.
His chance to build momentum from the Everton game into the Brighton clash came inside the opening two minutes, yet his effort was tame and comfortably saved by Bart Verbruggen.
Later, Declan Rice picked him out perfectly with a cross in the box, but he again failed to make the most of a golden opportunity to find the back of the net.
It’s logical to believe, like Arteta, that the goals will come. There have already been glimpses, such as his dominant display against Atletico Madrid, of the powerhouse forward that he was billed as. But before he can truly grow into that player, he still needs time for confidence to build and adjust to a drastically different style of play.
A look ahead
Arsenal Women are currently on their winter break and return to action in two weeks’ time against Manchester United.
The same applies to the U21s, who do not play again until January 9, when West Brom visit the Mangata Developments Stadium.
As a result, all eyes remain on the senior side, who face a true test of their resilience on Tuesday evening as Unai Emery’s Aston Villa travel to the Emirates.
The visitors were the last team to secure all three points against the Gunners, and come into the clash in formidable form after a 2-1 win away at Chelsea, extending their winning run to 11 consecutive matches.