Arsenal’s match at Aston Villa may have been only their second of the new Premier League season, but for manager Mikel Arteta, it groaned under the weight of significance.
Arsenal and Arteta are now painfully aware of the levels of perfection required to cross the bridge from second place to champions, having fallen short to Manchester City in the last two seasons.
And if there is one opponent guaranteed to bring that task into even sharper focus it is Aston Villa, who inflicted the biggest damage on the Gunners' title aspirations with a league double last season.