Arsenal were ticking along rather nicely when Mikel Arteta's positive test for coronavirus sounded the alarm to bring the football season to a shuddering halt.
Improvements were clear. Young players were performing well. There was a pleasing balance to the team in the early days of Arteta and form was strong.
Arsenal are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League in 2020 and safely into the last eight of the FA Cup.
There have been blips such as a home defeat against Olympiacos which dumped them out of the Europa League and the lingering habit of throwing away the lead.