Twelve in a row must rankle for a man who named the training ground dog Win. Twelve defeats against the club he left to manage Arsenal and the club he made it his mission to catch. Seven were on his watch.
Last season, the Gunners finished closer to Manchester City than they have been in a long time, but still five points behind the champions. If they are to close the gap further, Mikel Arteta must take some points off them and he might never have a better chance.