It has been the strangest of seasons - and doubly so if you're Per Mertesacker.
Well before the coronavirus pandemic put the campaign on hold, our academy manager was asked to step into the breach too work alongside Freddie Ljungberg when Unai Emery left the club.
The German admits it was a surprise, but a positive one - and he was only to happy to help in any way he could.
"You know sometimes you close a chapter and think, 'first-team football, that's away from me right now, I have a new challenge in the academy', but ultimately it's the football club we are serving and whatever I am needed to do, I will step in," Mertesacker told Arsenal Player.