Arsenal revelled in a scene of high anticipation when they walked out to face Aston Villa but were left looking at a sea of empty red seats 90 minutes later as the Premier League title race took a potentially pivotal twist.
Liverpool stumbled first in a shock home defeat by Crystal Palace before Arsenal's supporters, well at least those of them left, departed Emirates Stadium as stunned as their Anfield counterparts after Mikel Arteta's side followed suit in a 2-0 loss to Villa.
The title pursuit is nowhere near over with only two points separating the top three, but there is an ominously familiar feel to Manchester City's presence at the top of the table when the pressure valve is tightened.