Well, it was good while it lasted.
That’s to say that Arsenal’s mini-revival appears to be all but over after an insipid display against London rivals Crystal Palace.
The old maestro, Roy Hodgson, taught the apprentice, Mikel Arteta, a thing or two about grinding out a result, and whilst the game may have served to be one of the worst 90 minutes of football as a spectacle this season, Hodgson will surely be delighted with a point.
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It was a match that had precious little to shout about, but it’s precisely in those types of games where the Spaniard needs to extract something from his team.
Sky Sports pundit, Alex Scott, per the Daily Star, has suggested that the failure to do just that has likely given Arteta something of a reality check.
“I can sit here and be frustrated with the performance, but I think it is a reality check where this Arsenal team are,” she said.
“And the fact we’re talking about relying on the youngsters in this Arsenal team.”
Though it seems almost certain that Arteta will be given time to turn things around, there has to be a cut-off point.
Just because he is an ex-Gunner, Arteta shouldn’t be afforded any extra courtesy if he’s not doing the business.