Arsenal went more than a quarter of the game against Brentford without a shot on target and have not won away from home in the Premier League for nearly two years.
Are Arsenal good enough to keep up with Liverpool? Do they need a new striker in the January transfer window? Could Bryan Mbeumo - who opened the scoring for Brentford - be that player?
However, Arsenal responded to those questions with 3 goals to come back to defeat "The Bees".
The reasons for Arteta's unwavering faith in the Gunners' squad were on display against Brentford, as for the first time in a long time, it looked like Arteta's side had found balance.
Arsenal typically focus so heavily on the right flank that nearly 50% of their attacks come from Bukayo Saka's flank, while the win over Brentford saw the Gunners look far more dangerous as they play from a variety of attacking directions.
Partly this is down to the form of the two Brazilians. Gabriel Jesus has scored six goals in his last four games – one more than he managed in his previous 48. As for Gabriel Martinelli, the winger has been a surprise hit, especially without Saka on the opposite flank.
Martinelli's four goals in his last three games are more than he had in his previous 26. Of course, his current form is far from his 2022-23 campaign, when he scored 15 goals.
Overall, Martinelli is slowly regaining his confidence. This was the first time Martinelli started with Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino on Arsenal's left flank - two players Arteta bought in the summer of 2024 to try to improve the team.
"We believe that with the personnel on the left wing, we can create the momentum that we want," said Arteta.
Merino has been compared to Granit Xhaka, the midfielder who played alongside Martinelli at his peak at Arsenal. Now, when paired with Merino, Martinelli looks like a different player. He created more chances than anyone else against Brentford.
Merino also contributed a lot with his ability to win duels and take set pieces. The EURO 2024 champion had 2 goals for The Gunners and all came from "dead ball" situations.
If Arsenal can maintain that balance and continue to distribute the goals, they will have a chance to catch Liverpool. A new striker would help, but Arteta's side have shown they can adapt.
