This season hasn't quite been one from hell for Arsenal - they only need to glance over at the atrocities of rivals Manchester United and Tottenham to understand what that really looks like - but, to paraphrase a bitter 'Come Dine With Me' contestant, they have stumbled through it with the grace and decorum of a reversing dump truck.
Whenever it seems as if the Gunners can join together spurts of momentum, they are unceremoniously tripped up and out of that stride. Injuries have mainly been their Achilles heel, though underwhelming summer and winter transfer windows have contributed, be that directly or indirectly, to the malaise as well. That for the second season running a new midfielder, first Kai Havertz and now Mikel Merino, will end the year as the starting striker is emblematic to such carelessness in recruitment.
Mikel Arteta's side are out of both domestic cups and are not in the driving seat for either the Premier League or the Champions League. If they are to be crowned kings of England for the first time in 21 years, they need to not only up their own game, but hope and pray for an inexplicable collapse from leaders Liverpool - only 1995-96 Newcastle have not finished first after leading by seven points or more at this stage of a Premier League season.
Up on Merseyside, Arne Slot's men have emerged from a gruelling double gameweek with four points. That number could have been six as easily as it could have been two. Sunday's 2-1 victory at home to Wolves was particularly jangling for the Anfield nerves.
Arsenal require some help from a few old enemies over the next fortnight to chase down Liverpool, who continue their charge with a trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday. Awaiting them at Villa Park is the new-age duo of Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford, desperate for goals, desperate to secure another season of Champions League football.