For large swathes of the season it appeared as though Arsenal may be on the brink of something momentous. Top of the table as recently as February and playing with strength and confidence in all tournaments, the possibilities seemed endless. Defensive partnerships were resolute, the midfield functioned beautifully and Giroud was scoring goals. Honestly. He was.

Tricky matches against lower league opposition were negotiated with a routine simplicity unseen for many a season. Arsenal fans, pessimistic, cynical and wounded by previous mid season collapses, found a collective belief and roared encouragement at their favourites, home and abroad.

This year, surely this year.

But again, yet again, the season has caved in, epitomised most clearly in the spiritless performance at Goodison last Sunday, as previously dynamic players meandered around the pitch with odd indifference and a chronic lack of purpose.

In truth, the slide has been inevitable since the defeat to Everton’s city neighbours Liverpool in mid February. Heavy defeats to Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton served only to draw a thick curtain between Wenger’s perception of the club and the reality of the new footballing order in England.

He appears to have lost the habit of producing solutions

The optimism generated in the first eight months of the season has disappeared and that period is now viewed like so much of the last eight years - a false dawn. The Arsenal faithful now receive crushing reminders on a weekly basis that their team are simply not at the level of those above.

It looks increasingly likely that this brilliant and revolutionary manager is incapable of returning the club to former glories, but the FA Cup presents an opportunity for redemption and the chance to recall the Wenger of old; triumphant, holding silverware aloft. And success in the cup will be a triumph. Arsenal have dispatched some good teams en route to the semi finals.

It is often said that sport is not about winning but about glory and honour and there have been few more honourable contributors to English football than Arsene Wenger. His legacy is intact, but failure in the semi finals against Wigan, or even in the final against Hull or Sheffield United should the Championship club be overcome on Saturday, would heap misery and embarrassment on manager, players and fans alike.

The supporters, who were made to believe for so long by what now looks like no more than a trick of the light - know the importance of the FA Cup and crave a day in the sun at Wembley.

At 5pm on Saturday it is over to the players to show that they do as well. Defeat is unthinkable and would probably mark the end of Wenger’s tenure but going on recent performances it is far from impossible. Wigan have form in the league and the cup and are more than capable of causing an upset.

But Arsenal with the correct mindset will surely have too much?

For the fans, the club and the manager, rarely has the description ‘must win’ contained so much relevance.

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