Arsenal had not received much credit for their resurgence after a poor start to the season after being the butt of the joke over the past few seasons.
After beginning the season with three straight losses, Arsenal went on an eight-game unbeaten streak ahead of Saturday's game against Leicester City.
There was an overwhelming sense among fans that Arsenal - THE Arsenal - should end up winning these matches; beating Norwich, Burnley and Aston Villa, and securing bragging rights in the north London derby.
Those victories might have been expected, but in 2021 the Gunners were entitled to praise and attention for their efforts. But while a victory at Turf Moor is all well and good, it is fair to say there had yet to be a true acid test of exactly where Mikel Arteta's men were in their development - disregarding the Tottenham victory, where form can feasibly go out of the window.
