Arsenal's last two results in the Premier League may have dented their hopes of being crowned champions in May, but draws against Liverpool and West Ham United has left them on the brink of a return amongst Europe's elite.
When Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, their lead at the top of the table had been cut down to three points after Manchester City made it 10 wins in a row across all competitions by dispatching Leicester City.
And come full-time in east London, the Gunners were left reflecting on letting another two-goal lead slip - having done so seven days prior against Liverpool - as drawing 2-2 means they are now only four points clear at the top and there's very little room for error if they are to hold off City's challenge.
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But away from the title race, it's worth pointing out that Arsenal are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League and their return to the competition after a six-year absence could be confirmed as early as Friday night - and the dream scenario is that they don't have to rely on results from elsewhere.
Barring a spectacular collapse in the final seven games of the campaign, the north London outfit will be back at Europe's top table next season. In fact, their current points haul of 74 would have been enough for a top-four finish in each of the last four Premier League campaigns.
Now, the only reason the Gunners haven't mathematically secured Champions League football yet is three-fold; One being their draw against West Ham means they can still finish fifth, the other being Tottenham Hotspur can still finish above them if there's a drastic turn of events with regard to goal difference and finally Brighton and Hove Albion having multiple games in hand.
However, as long as Arsenal beat Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, they will be assured of a top-four finish. This is because a victory puts them on 77 points whilst Brighton and Spurs can only finish on 76 and 74 respectively were they to win all of their remaining fixtures.
Alternatively, if the Gunners were to drop points at home to the Saints, they'll have to wait until Wednesday night - when they entertain title rivals Man City - for the next opportunity to qualify for the Champions League as Brighton are in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend.
A year ago, fans will have been watching Champions League quarter-final ties unfold wondering if their club would be able to host the likes of Real Madrid under the lights at the Emirates in the near future. With that said, a recent stumble in the title race shouldn't take away from the fact that it's a matter of when, not if, Arsenal will be back in Europe's elite competition.
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