A five-point lead followed by four consecutive draws that have seen them slip three points behind Manchester United at the top of the table, and the doubts are setting in at Arsenal.

They may have produced one of the indelible European performances to see off AC Milan and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but heading into this vital weekend in the Premier League, all the talk at Arsenal is of ensuring they salvage some silverware from a season in which they have reached heights unknown even to them.