Next five Arsenal fixtures will define their season ahead of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli return

The defeat to West Ham was so damaging and transformative to the mood surrounding the club that in the space of two days, conversations changed from what could happen to open up the opportunity for the Gunners to retake control of the title, to suggestions it is now all over. Can the pendulum swing as quickly in the other direction? Perhaps, but the likelihood of that in the current context of both sides makes it very small.

As a result, Arsenal’s next five games will, for me, determine how their season will finish. Three Premier League games, with two UEFA Champions League matches at the end surrounding the hosting of Chelsea.

In just two days’ time, Arsenal will take on a Nottingham Forest team who, despite losing at Newcastle, scored three goals at St James’ Park. This is one more than Arsenal have managed on their last five visits to the northeast club.

The City Ground itself has been another awful place too for the Gunners. Losing there in May of 2023, in the FA Cup the year before and in 2018 in the same competition – although they did secure a 2-1 victory on their last visit to the East Midlands club.

This season Nuno Espirito Santo has got his side performing extremely well and they will be a tougher opponent than the last time the Gunners travelled north. A win here though would be quite the statement and a real turn in mood for the side.

Then comes the trip to Eindhoven where Mikel Arteta faces a familiar opponent in PSV. The third season in a row the sides have met but on each of the last two occasions, Arteta failed to record a win in the Netherlands – losing 2-0 in 2022 and drawing 1-1 in 2023.

Noa Lang, Luuk de Jong, Ricardo Pepi and Johan Bakayoko certainly possess more goals than the currently available group of talent Arsenal have due to injury. Both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are not expected to be back for this meeting, perhaps both of the tie's two games.

Managing to get past PSV sets up a guaranteed trip to Madrid. Real or Atletico await which will be a huge challenge either way for Arteta, but the hope will be some key stars might have returned by then.

Between the two European matches is a trip to Old Trafford. Hardly the threatening behemoth it once was and Arsenal did win the game between the old rivals in the northwest last season.

However, with so few options, and an innate ability to revive United like a defibrillator in times of crisis. A win on the road would again be quite the boost, as would what follows, a home clash with London rivals Chelsea.

Much talk at the beginning of the season had the Blues talking about a title challenge and how Enzo Maresca could embarrass Mikel Arteta by not only finishing in the top four but potentially claiming major silverware in his first season – no, not the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Fast-forward to February and Chelsea are seventh, struggling and even talisman Cole Palmer has not been able to claw his side through the last three months. Arsenal will hope to face them at a time where Martinelli could have returned.

At the end of these five games, if Arsenal have a strong record, all might not be lost. Should they fail to, they would be inclined instead to check over their shoulders.