Over to you Liverpool. Over to you Real Madrid. These are Arsenal's real opponents for the next month or so as Mikel Arteta looks to extend this season into May.
It's Fulham on the surface, Everton on Saturday, and Brentford to come, but below that it's Madrid and any psychological victory that can be picked up. It's pressure on Arne Slot to dig deep and to respond after losing the Carabao Cup before the international break.
For now, Arsenal have cut the gap. It is nine points ahead of Wednesday's Merseyside derby at Anfield. Everton are in decent form, they will want this. The job has been done by Arteta and his men, now it's time to watch.
They will also fail to have seen that Madrid were beaten inside 90 minutes by Real Sociedad on Tuesday whilst they did the business at home to Fulham. These things matter, it all adds up.
Madrid are a champion team who know how to do this, though. Antonio Rudiger showed this. His name has been on the lips for Arsenal supporters due to a potential UEFA ban but it was he who rose home to win Madrid the Copa del Rey semi-final.
The title is still in Barcelona's hands, and Carlo Ancelotti's side have shown fallibility of late. Arteta will know this. He cannot ignore it. Arsenal really do have a chance here on both counts to make an impact.
Liverpool must be pushed, they must be made to be honest. That is exactly what Arsenal did with their 2-1 win over Fulham. This was a professional job.
It wasn't exceptional. Myles Lewis-Skelly wasn't at his best, neither was Declan Rice. The game was really about the return of Bukayo Saka but injuries for Ben White and then one picked up by Gabriel Magalhaes put a cloud over the result. It is not performances at this stage of the season that really matter.
Arsenal play before Liverpool throughout April and can only do their part to make things nervy. Arteta and his men have enough recent experience of just how hard it is to get over the line, especially once things start to shift even slightly.
But for now this was a night to celebrate. Arsenal have Saka back, they are in the groove, churning out matches again at home. They haven't been perfect but also haven't had to be.
Mikel Merino is acting like a striker and has shown a variety of finishes. In the week that Arsenal were freshly linked with a new centre forward (namely Viktor Gyokeres) it was timely for the stand-in to stand up.
He did so, taking a sharp touch inside a crowded Fulham box before firing in a shot with his weak foot. It was a lovely goal, even if the deflection did take the ball away from Bernd Leno, and Arteta will need more of this from Merino.
The Spaniard now has six in his last 10 games for club and country with an assist as well. Domestically that is four from six, not a bad run for a makeshift option.
What was noticeable in north London on Tuesday was how flexible Arsenal were. Against a Fulham team who have become known for their solidity and rigid backline, Arteta inspired more movement than has been on show of late.
Ethan Nwaneri moved from the right to the left on and off the ball, finding gaps centrally to drive when the chance arose. Jurrien Timber held his place to keep the shape out wide whilst Gabriel Martinelli put in his best performance in recent memory.
He was dynamic in attacking the line, dribbling with purpose and confidence. When Merino drifted wide to help the rotations it was Declan Rice taking his place in the middle and Arsenal showed that they can add spark to their performances. That will be imperative if the final eight league games are to be positive ones.
Merino is not Gyokeres, he is not Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak, or Victor Osimhen. Martinelli is not Nico Williams. Thomas Partey is not Martin Zubimendi.
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after scoring a goal for Sporting CP
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after scoring a goal for Sporting CP (Image: Getty Images)
Perhaps if Arsenal did have these players they would be closer to Liverpool if not ahead. Maybe they would be more fancied to beat Madrid, or at least to compete with them. What Arsenal do have is a group of fighters.
They have fallen short of expectation for much of this season but have never once lied down. They have slipped up and frustrated, failing to capitalise or sustain levels but they have not given up. That spirit and togetherness will be crucial more than ever as the last two months are played out.
New sporting director Andrea Berta was watching on with this in mind. The teams he crafted with and for Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid were steely, hard-wired, and dogged. Arsenal already have a lot of this about them. They have a coach who is disciplined in defence and intuitive in his methods. He is hungry, determined, and passionate. There are similarities with the Argentine Simeone and Berta will be on the lookout for exactly where he can take this squad and how to mould them.
Arsenal have shown core principles of what winning teams do to this point, though. Against Fulham they won, not exactly ugly but without a care in the world that it wasn't pretty.
Their unorthodox No.9 did the job he was asked to - which is maybe the best thing about Merino to date, he is at least unrelenting in willingness even when quality has lacked. Without Saka for most of the game they still had Nwaneri, a superstar talent. Now Saka is back there will be immediate pressure on him to carry this thing home.
There is a lot to do if Saka is to be competing for honours two weeks on from now but it is not out of Arsenal's reach. They are at their limit in some senses but that is when the real teams come alive. Arsenal are still alive and they are still believing.
Madrid and Liverpool will be as well. That is how things play out at the very top. Arsenal have wanted to be there for so long and are now on the cusp of making the one step left. It is now the time to blossom rather than shrink.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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