Arsenal's dressing room was notably downbeat following the deflating Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City in March.
However, Mikel Arteta had no time for negative energy, even though his players would have to wait 13 days to try and put things right in the FA Cup at Southampton. An awkwardly-timed international break beckoned and Arteta was determined to maintain his team's focus.
After several years of disappointment, he was not willing to let another long gruelling season slide and go to waste. They had simply come too far and made too many strides to freeze at the business end of the campaign.
There was no denying the seismic shift in narrative. Many anticipated - and some hoped - that this might in fact be the beginning of the Gunners' demise.
