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Finally, a moment to exhale. As Bukayo Saka shot low then powerfully past Kostas Tzolakis to complete an occasionally uncomfortable two-goal victory, the sound from the Emirates faithful was closer to a tired, sofa-flopping sigh than a celebratory cheer, with the sense, finally, of a midweek task accomplished.

This match was one Arsenal always looked like they were winning, despite seeming to realise this somewhat prematurely during the match against eager and purposeful opponents. Nobody attracts the stern and unforgiving eye as much as Arteta’s squad, for which squad depth, the supposed crime of assembling a championship-caliber side, is the latest crime on the rap sheet.

Yet on occasion you really do just need to complete the task. From the start the stadium seemed like a workaday place, a continuation of the busy city streets outside the bright stadium lights, the city’s hustle, nine to five football, a necessary task as we approach that part of the year where the lights come on at four and the season really starts to shift gears.

Victory aside, a couple of notable developments occurred for Arsenal. The Norwegian playmaker completed the full match. Meanwhile the Swedish striker went the distance as well. They achieved this in differing ways. The captain shone, even in the period when the team struggled, and this is important: numerous involvements, multiple attempts, an assist, a reel of delightful passes, nudges, intelligent cues. He really is a pleasure to observe when he’s in this form, part feather-footed artist, half relentless pressing force, darting around like a drop of water in a pan of hot oil.

The forward was his usual self: energetically blunt, haring about the place from start to finish as if pursued by a herding animal. Yet he also intrigued because he represents evolution, new approaches, and to wanting more. And there are points to be digested now, though this match didn’t fully provide them.

The skipper excelled when Arsenal were not.

This was the second Evangelos Marinakis vehicle the Gunners faced in the past few weeks and the owner was in attendance in a $500 white T-shirt and California vice squad silky blazer, the look of a man who at any given moment is heading toward a speed boat, disembarked from a vessel, or is currently on a boat, preferably surrounded by a entourage over a soft metal soundtrack.

There were some fun crowd moments in the opening stages. The Olympiakos boss, the passionate Greek side’s coach, became embroiled in a tangle with the fourth official, a vast terrifying bald man, like the bouncer at the entrance to a nightclub only for bouncers. On the Olympiakos left Ben White, tall and sturdy, marking the diminutive winger, 5ft 4in, had a slight mismatch appearance. And for a while this threatened to become a stroll, with an early strike made by Ødegaard and Gyökeres. It was a beautiful thing, a feather-light brush stroke followed by a powerful finish.

First the captain made a clever move, gliding into a half-space in the attacking third, jinking past his man then delivering an ideal ball through opposition lines into the run of the striker. At that moment, enter: the Smashing Machine, the forward bulldozed past two defenders, before blasting a shot at the keeper. When the ball rolled goalward the Brazilian attacker attempted to let it cross the line, then smacked in the rebound off the post.

This showcased Gyökeres at his finest, who sometimes appears far from a very good basic footballer among these teammates, but doesn’t appear bothered, or intimidated. The opponents played physically against him after the goal. He was shoved and jostled repeatedly. He rose, returned for further action.

The striker is a unique specimen, within this squad, possessing that unmistakable style of carrying the ball, not so much dribbling as knocking it ahead and then chasing it down, like a Great Dane chasing a beach ball. He’s a bludgeon. But this is OK. Arsenal didn’t actually have a physical presence in the past.

He will need to get better, more rapid in shooting, more precise in tight spaces. However, this is noteworthy, because the striker remains the sole element of this re-geared team still waiting to click.

This is not quite a moment to pause: that will only come following the weekend fixture, but Arsenal can now at the very least adjust their crampons and take a mouthful of Kendal mint cake.

It seemed apparent the fall schedule would break down into two separate phases. The first of those is now completed. Eight games in six weeks, including Manchester United, top opponents, league sides, title contenders and Newcastle, and concluded here with a tricky night against the Greek champions.

Following that stretch the statistics show: seven victories, lost one, one tie with multiple shutouts. There are intangibles too. Scoring distributed across the squad, and still only one conceded from open play. Depth exists for the wing, cover at the back, cover for Ødegaard. Best of all Mikel Arteta has shown dynamism, has learned on the job, has been impressively fluid and urgent with his patterns in the recent matches, amid an era of self-hobbling systems fetishism elsewhere.

This isn’t the start of a new era. This is not even the end of the beginning. However, the upcoming fixtures represent, in outline, a decent run relative to before, with multiple domestic matches that look winnable and the European competition now under control. All things being equal, and with the captain in fine form, there is a feeling of credit being squirrelled away. And nearly, though not entirely, a moment to relax.