Mikel Arteta recently celebrated his three year anniversary as Arsenal boss - and the Gunners have certainly come a long way during the Spaniard's premiership.
After missing out on Champions League qualification last season, Arteta has overseen Arsenal's remarkable start to the campaign, with the Gunners currently five points clear at the summit of the Premier League. While all that could change during a busy festive programme, the outlook was far bleaker for Arsenal back in December 2020.
12 months after his appointment, Arteta was under pressure: Arsenal had lost four home games on the spin and fans were growing restless after seeing their side humbled at the Emirates by Burnley.
And while Arsenal's current title tile is being spearheaded by a host of exciting young talent, Arteta's old side were being hamstrung by a handful of experienced performers who, to put it bluntly, no longer seemed capable of performing.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright had seen enough from three players in particular - and urged Arteta to 'move on' from pros who were letting him down like Granit Xhaka, Alexandre Lacazette and Willian.
“The manager has stuck with him [Xhaka] for a while,” Wright told Premier League Productions. “He has shown a lot of faith in him. I think he has done the same with Willian. He has done the same with [Alexandre] Lacazette.
“There are players now that should be getting a blast at it now. Throw in Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe coming back on-loan and doing well at Huddersfield last season. Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles. You need to do something different because if it carries on like this and he continues to have faith in these players, and they are not delivering, then I don’t know what’s going to happen next."
A scathing assessment, but how have the aforementioned trio fared since that rant from Wright back in 2020? Did Arteta heed his warning and act? Here, Mirror Football takes a look...
Join the debate! Do you agree with the decisions Arteta made over these three players? Let us know here.
Granit Xhaka
Although few would have argued with Wright's assessment of Xhaka, Arteta kept faith in the Swiss midfielder - and the former Gunners captain has emphatically repaid his manager.
Xhaka is Arsenal's leader in all but name on the pitch after leaving the disciplinary issues that have blighted his career behind.
The 30-year-old has thrived after being given a license to roam by Arteta this year and has already pitched in with four goals and three assist this term.
If there is any one player who perfectly encapsulates the transformative affect that Arteta has had on Arsenal over the past two years, it's Xhaka.
Alexandre Lacazette
After Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped off the club captaincy, Arteta turned to Lacazette in the hope that the Frenchman would lead by example. And while Lacazette's conduct was impeccable during his short with the armband, he didn't perform in front of goal.
Lacazette netted just four Premier League goals in 30 games during his final season in north London and it came as little surprise when the striker and the club confirmed that his contract would not be renewed in the summer.
Intriguingly, Lacazatte has been in prolific form since leaving Arsenal; after returning to Lyon, Lacazette has amassed nine goals and three assists in just 15 games for the French giants.
Willian
Unlike Xhaka and Lacazette, Arteta did not persist with Willian, who left Arsenal just 12 months after arriving from Chelsea.
Willian struggled to replicate that sort of form that made him a firm fans favourite at Stamford Bridge and both parties were more than happy to come to an agreement that would allow the winger to tear up the final two years of his contract.
The 34-year-old returned to his first club, Corinthians in Brazil but is now back in the Premier League with Fulham.
Despite initial scepticism, Willian has won over fans and critics alike with his performances and has been tipped to earn a longer stay at Craven Cottage after penning an initial one-year deal.
