The international break has been a blessed relief from the annual meltdown for Arsenal fans, however, the rollercoaster returns this weekend, in scary fashion as Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side are the visitors in north London.

Whilst a meltdown is not unusual for Gunners fans at this time of year, it seems the 2017 edition has been far worse than ever before, with manager Arsene Wenger under far more scrutiny than ever before. The Frenchman is under pressure to make an announcement on his future, with it looking increasingly likely that he’ll stay another year.

Having seen weeks of protests from some corners of the Arsenal faithful, it is clear the decision will not go down well amongst some sections of the fan base, meaning the 67-year-old has a lot to do to win them around once again.

Champions League qualification, success in the FA Cup and a big spending spree this summer can all help his cause, however, none of that will be achievable should he not lift the pressure on his squad ahead of the run-in.

In hosting Manchester City this weekend, the Gunners have the ideal chance to get their campaign back on track and show they have moved on from recent failings and their performance in the reverse fixture.

If any game foretold what was in store for fans in north London later in the season, it was their clash at The Etihad back in December.

Theo Walcott struck early in the first half to give the Gunners a lead at the break, after a highly impressive performance. However, that same side never emerged for the second half and a capitulation from Wenger’s men meant City finished up 2-1 winners.

At half time there was talk from pundits on BBC 5Live of Arsenal’s chances of toppling Chelsea a top the Premier League, come full time and there were doubts from those same pundits over their ability to finish in the top four.

Whilst that says a lot about the trigger happy nature of contemporary football coverage, the stark contrast between the two halves did not bode well for the rest of the season.

With that in mind, Wenger will want to show his team has the bottle required to see off their top four challengers. He must show that the international break has helped his side and that they can handle the pressure of needing to perform for their manager’s job.

In order to have any hope of appeasing the fans in the long term, Wenger must get it right this weekend, do so and it could be the start of the road to redemption this season.