This is a huge week for Arteta’s Arsenal Football Club

Monday marks the return of Patrick Vieira to the club he spent nine years as a player, wore the captain’s armband, and lifted seven trophies. It’s a special reunion of one of the great Arsenal players in history.

That isn’t where the focus is.

Win this Premier League meeting and Arsenal move into the top half. Welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates four days later, win that, and Arsenal move into the top four.

Such has been the layout of the fixtures that two weekends will pass by without Arsenal featuring. It’s almost as if the club has been handed these limelight slots in the schedule just to set them up for more floodlight failures a la Brentford. All eyes on the red half of north London.

This is a huge week for Arteta’s Arsenal Football Club as Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are next int the Premier League with the top four within sight

It’s a huge week. Not because it puts the Gunners into Champions League contention that they will cling onto for the remainder of the season – this may very well be within Mikel Arteta’s sights – but because of the shift in mentality it can bring.

To have gone the opening three matches without a point or even a goal, to then see Arteta scoop the first Manager of the Month award won by an Arsenal boss since October 2015 came as some shock. While the turnaround isn’t complete, the disparity in those two runs of matches is nevertheless stark.

Performances are still not where they need to be but results have improved (they couldn’t get any worse) and from a confidence standpoint and a bid to get beleaguered fans back on board, Arteta finds himself in incredible territory to do so.

Not only would six points propel Arsenal into the top four – a position they will likely hold only very briefly – it equally extends the unbeaten run to seven in all competitions and takes advantage of the openings laid before them by rivals sides who faltered in matchweek eight.

Vieira’s Palace are first up and a win would see Arsenal move within a point of Manchester United, West Ham and Everton, and two points behind Brighton in fourth. Arteta has to keep his side within touching distance of the outfits up in those positions whether they finish in them come the end of the campaign or not.

Staying in the hunt, making sure the distances in the Premier League don’t widen and keeping the exceptional fan reaction that has been prevalent throughout the season going is what the manager has to be eyeing. A rocky start has calmed and now the sea’s path ahead is clearer.

Don’t let it slip. These are two huge football matches coming up.