Arsenal are almost a year on from the start of the collapse that cost them dearly in last season's Premier League title race so all vital signs will be placed under the fiercest scrutiny as they face the same pressures again.
The ultimate test remains a visit to Manchester City, who forced Arsenal to crack under the strain of relentless pressure last year, flaws exposed cruelly in a 4-1 thrashing at Etihad Stadium that proved a defining moment of the campaign.
So here they were again, returning to the scene of that misery, the Gunners attempting to prove their credentials and improvement in an environment where they have drawn one and lost eight since their last win in January 2015.