Arsenal are one point from the top four, on course for a points total in the early 70s and have a Europa League semi-final to look forward to. From a bird's-eye view Unai Emery's first season has gone more or less to expectations, discounting those of the wildly optimistic or merchants of doom.

If the destination is predictable, the journey has been anything but. Any new coach would have had designs on reducing Arsenal's goals against column and improving their dismal away record, two low bars to clear given Arsenal won four of 19 league games on the road and shipped 51 goals in Arsene Wenger's final season.

Surprisingly, Emery has done neither (to any significant extent). The dispiriting away results have continued, the most recent of which a 3-1 loss at Wolves, while Arsenal have conceded 46 league goals. Where Arsenal have tangibly improved is the competitiveness and intensity of their performances against Big Six rivals - mostly at the Emirates - recording home league wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham for the first time in a single campaign since 2001/2.

That possibly reveals where Emery's strengths as a coach lie. Like the famous duelling banjo scene in Deliverance, Emery seems to revel in the opposition manager setting the tune and taking his cue from there. Big Six opponents (United excepted) have very distinctive styles of play, and that seems to narrow Emery's focus on a clear plan. When Arsenal are required to impose their attacking talent on vanilla mid-table teams the picture becomes slightly blurred, and this was in evidence at Molineux.