The last time Arsenal were involved in the Capital One Cup, a side from League Two - read Bradford City -- embarrassed them, with calls for Arsene Wenger to step down as manager echoing down the halls of the Emirates and beyond.
Fast forward a few months, and how things have changed. Arsenal are sitting at the top of the English Premier League table and are still grinning from signing Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid in the summer.
The Capital One Cup, though, is a really good opportunity for Arsenal to end their trophy drought and Arsene Wenger, while giving some of his fringe players a chance, will not look at the tournament lightly.
"I will try to find a good balance between experience and youth," Wenger told Arsenal Player. "At the back you will have players you know well. Up front, you have a bit more improvisation and young players.
"You will see (Serge) Gnabry again -- everybody knows him already. Maybe the return of (Nicklas) Bendtner as well, who will get a chance. That's the kind of team we will have.
"We want to win this competition as well. I try to find the right balance between giving a needed breather to some players like (Jack) Wilshere and (Aaron) Ramsey, who have given a lot.
"(I) take the competition very seriously as well because it's an opportunity to win a trophy. We don't want to neglect that.
"Having said that, we play again on Saturday and we play again on Tuesday. We had to play the qualifier of the Champions League which were two tough games."
Their opponents for Wednesday night will be West Bromwich Albion, who will themselves be confident of a positive result at the Hawthorns.
"Arsenal are under a bit of pressure because they've not won a major trophy for a while," West Brom assistant manager Kevin Keen said.
"I think it's a good draw for us because the crowd will get behind us. I like the game."
Bendtner will be the most interesting name that is likely to be in the Arsenal starting lineup, with the Danish international in the wilderness over the last couple of years. Everyone, including Wenger, had thought the 25-year-old's Arsenal career was over, but circumstances have led to Bendtner now having a real chance of resurrecting his career at the Emirates.
"He had nearly gone somewhere else (in August) and in the end he stayed because it didn't work out and we needed him here," Wenger said about Bendtner.
"Now he can convince everybody. We are open-minded, we believe in his qualities. I personally believe in his qualities. It's just down to attitude and fighting (spirit). When he has that, Nicklas can be an unstoppable striker. He gets his chance. Our job is about that. Take your chance.
"Fans forgive you everything as long as you produce the performances on the football pitch. That's what people want. I think our fans have a positive attitude towards Bendtner and they will be behind him. Only you can create that with your performances."
Team News: Theo Walcott will undergo a minor procedure on his abdomen in Germany, which will rule him out until after the next international week in October.
Apart from Walcott, Wenger will be without Tomas Rosicky, Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou Diaby, while Yaya Sanogo is a doubt. Wilshere, Ozil and Ramsey are likely to be given a rest.
West Brom will most probably welcome back Shane Long and Chris Brunt.
Where to watch
The match is set for a 12.30 a.m. (IST, Thursday) start with it scheduled for a live telecast on Ten Sports.
Expected lineups: West Brom: Camp; Popov, Ridgewell, McAuley, Olsson; Yacob, Brunt; Rosenberg, Sessegnon, Sinclair; Anichebe.
Arsenal: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Sagna, Vermaelen, Monreal; Arteta, Frimpong; Gnabry, Eisfeld, Miyaichi; Bendtner.
Prediction: 4-2 to Arsenal
