This will not be pretty. Those of you of a squeamish disposition might wish to avert your eyes. Yes, it's time to review Arsenal's season -- the worst, barring an unlikely FA Cup final win over Chelsea, of Arsene Wenger's two decades in charge. Everything that follows is with the proviso that victory at Wembley could offer some form of redemption, but there is a lot to redeem ...
Rating out of 10: 2
Highlight
With a bit of luck, that will come Saturday at Wembley. The FA Cup semifinal win over Manchester City was certainly a rare moment of respite in an otherwise disappointing season that saw Arsenal drop out of the top four for the first time under Wenger. But back in September, Arsenal were actually looking quite good for a spell. Yes, it's true.
In the midst of a 19-game unbeaten run in all competitions, they welcomed Chelsea to Emirates Stadium and took apart Antonio Conte's side in a ruthless display. Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil all scored before half-time in a performance that reeked of championship material, while Chelsea were in disarray.
Of course, Arsenal's best performance only served to inspire Chelsea's wonderful Premier League charge, as they switched to a back three after being ripped to shreds and went on a 13-game win streak that catapulted them to the title. It has been that kind of season for Arsenal.
Low point
Any time fans took to the streets in protest, demanding Wenger's head, was a sad moment for the club, while finishing below Tottenham for the first time in his reign was a blow to Arsenal's ego. Still, the absolute lowest point had to be the savaging at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, as Arsenal contrived to lose 5-1 in both legs in the round of 16 and lose a remarkable 10-2 on aggregate.
Arsenal actually played fairly well in the early stages of both legs, but the ruthless manner in which Bayern ran away with it on both occasions revealed Arsenal's fatal ineptitude at the top level. Rarely have they ever looked as far away from the elite standard as they did when being demolished by Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Star man
A complete no-contest. It would be farcical to make a case for anyone except Alexis Sanchez, who hit double figures in goals and assists in the Premier League and decided a string of games with his individual brilliance. Sanchez has always been explosive in the penalty area, but his passing game took a big step forward this season, as he became a genuine world-class talent in attack. It was arguably the best campaign of any Arsenal player since Robin van Persie left for Manchester United in 2012.
But Arsenal's undisputed star man was also the subject of controversy as he was dropped for a crucial match away at Liverpool in March following a training ground bust-up and is expected to leave the club this summer after refusing to sign a new deal. So there you go.
Flop
Granit Xhaka has improved in recent weeks, with the switch to the 3-4-2-1 formation giving him a bit more security and, consequently, more confidence to exhibit his impressive range of passing. That said, Arsenal can still have expected more from a player who cost an eye-watering £35 million when signing in the summer.
Xhaka struggled for long spells as he seemed to flit indecisively between a couple of midfield roles, and his poor discipline was costly too, as he was sent off twice and gave away two penalties. There is a good player in there somewhere, and recent games have made the outline of said player a bit clearer, but he remains too slow on the ball and cannot tackle. The fact that he cost more than N'Golo Kante is a joke.
Transfer Talk
The real change needed is at boardroom level and, sadly, in the manager's office too. But neither looks to be a realistic proposition at present. That isn't to say new signings aren't needed -- they surely are.
A new goalkeeper should be on the list after Petr Cech failed to impress this season, though Wojciech Szczesny could return after a successful loan spell at Roma. If an external solution is sought, then Jordan Pickford, who had a sensational game at the Emirates in midweek, would be the obvious option.
Sead Kolasinac is expected to arrive on a free transfer from Schalke and will be a good option at left-back or left-wing-back, if Arsenal stick with their new formation. The biggest issues on the horizon are the futures of Sanchez and Ozil, both of whom have one year left on their contracts. The former is much more likely to leave and, if so, would need to be replaced by a serious talent. Kylian Mbappe, anyone?