Away from the pressure cooker of chasing in a Premier League title race, where every single moment and action matters, Arsenal return to European football with little to worry about. It will make for a nice change for Mikel Arteta.

Getting the job done with a comfortable 3-0 win last week against Dinamo Zagreb means that there is very little jeopardy heading into Wednesday's Champions League jamboree. On a night where all 36 teams will be playing simultaneously in 18 separate matches, the permutations will be spinning.

Arsenal, very simply, know that just a draw away to Girona - already confirmed as being out after losing six of their seven group phase games so far - will see them into the last-16. Even a loss in Spain will likely be enough unless there is a giant goal-difference swing.

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It leaves Arsenal with a relatively relaxed mid-week of action ahead. Manchester City certainly can't say the same. For Arteta, it comes at a valuable time.

The emotions were heightened on Saturday away to Wolves. For 45 minutes there was frustration as Vitor Pereira's side played the role of stubborn opposition well. Then, after Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card, there was anger.

It is not the first time that Arsenal have played through the red mist. This time, though, unlike in the previous three occasions, they have managed to earn a win rather than dropping points after going down to 10 men. Helped by Joao Gomes' own dismissal in the second half, Riccardo Calafiori popped up with the only goal of the game.

The victory ensures that they are still within distance of Liverpool even if the gap could be nine points by Thursday night week. There is still an expectation and tightness that comes with needing to be perfect when fighting to try and win a league. That was shown in the reaction to Lewis-Skelly's red card.

Arsenal's pent-up annoyance came out as the team exploded towards Michael Oliver. Partially down to the unexpected nature of the decision, there is also the element of having to be perfect.

On Wednesday, that will all be out of the door. Arsenal can have an enjoyable night in Europe without the prospect of it ending their challenge. Avoid something incredibly unlikely at it will be a free-ride into March's knockout proper.

Adding to the freedom, Lewis-Skelly will be available. His three-match ban for violent conduct does not transfer into the Champions League and will instead only cover domestic action, handing Arteta a boost while waiting on the final verdict of the appeal.

If the decision is upheld then he will miss Sunday's meeting with Manchester City. That is a big blow but so too would be his absence from the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg to follow, although an appeal has now been submitted to the FA challenging the red card. The last game he would miss in a worst-case scenario is then the trip to Leicester City on February 15.

For now, Lewis-Skelly can keep his place in the team and Arsenal can almost act as if nothing has happened. They did the same earlier this season when Declan Rice and William Saliba were forced to sit out domestic matches. Both retained their place in the Champions League as Arteta continued to select his strongest XI.

Lewis-Skelly is very much in Arteta's best team right now and will be thankful that amid the chaos and noise of another busy Premier League weekend, he can pick his first-choice left-back. That might not be true for the next few weeks but at least for now there is normality.