Those hopes were met early on as Bukayo Saka opened the scoring in the opening 20 minutes before Martin Odegaard tucked away a penalty on the stroke of half-time. There was another spot-kick after the break and that squad togetherness was on show for everyone to see.
It appeared as though Gabriel Jesus was set to take it, but a word from captain Odegaard saw Kai Havertz handed the opportunity. The former Chelsea man has been on the end of some criticism since his switch for £65million, but the goal that followed may give him the confidence to build on.
Plenty of chances followed, with a late finish from Ben White adding a fourth to complete the rout and earning a huge victory to continue their momentum. After the game, Emile Smith Rowe was spotted in a tearful mood as he was unable to score late on after a substitute appearance.
The youngster has been given few opportunities over the past year to fight his way back into the team, with the latest possibly passing him by. That team ethic was shown yet again as Oleksandr Zinchenko went over to support Smith Rowe in a moment of vulnerability.The Ukrainian left-back was seen shouting at his teammate and tapping his back to try and bring his spirits up, with coaches coming over to console him too. It shows the positive atmosphere and collective responsibility with the keeping the harmony amongst the dressing room.
It remains to be seen how well that can be managed over the course of a long season for the Gunners, but it's a stark contrast to the situation found when Arteta was drafted in.
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