Last week I wrote that there is a version of Arsenal's story this season that does not end in heartbreak. I stand by this assertion… but with a slightly heavier sense of dread.
Arsenal's exit from the FA Cup on Saturday does not have to be the disaster some fans feel it is, but I can't deny that the performance has added an additional layer to the run-in dread.
Arsenal simply are not playing well at the moment.
As we enter the final weeks of the season, there has always been the haunting memory of recent seasons where the title has slipped away. This has been omnipresent since we started this campaign.
But now, I also worry that Arsenal's more recent form, as well as the historic nightmare, is cause for concern.
There has been much discussion online about the last time Arsenal really played well, with suggestions as far back as the 4-1 win against Aston Villa in December.
Although the finish line is in sight, it is too soon for Arsenal to be crawling to the line and continuing their current form.
Oppositions will also sense that this is a side going through a difficult patch and ready for the taking.
It is easy to forget that the Gunners have scored more goals than any other Premier League side this season. They have also conceded fewer goals.
Put simply, Arsenal need to find the form that has taken them to the summit of the Premier League – and they need to find it quickly.
This is the form that will see them over the line, not the form that has seen them exit two cups in two weeks.
Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast
