What Arsenal needed before the biggest game in their recent history was momentum.
What they didn't need was a full-strength side going down to a first-ever home defeat by Bournemouth.
Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta that is what happened as the Gunners' preparations for Wednesday's pivotal Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris St-Germain were dealt a blow by Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Cherries.
Arsenal's aspirations for the remainder of this campaign rest entirely on success in Europe, and they head to the French capital needing to overturn a 1-0 loss from the first leg.