The FA Cup occupies a curious place in Arsenal's recent history. No club can match their success in the competition, lifting the trophy on 13 occasions, which includes three of the last six stagings.
Their 2014 victory ended a nine-year wait for silverware and was framed as a stepping stone to challenging for the game's biggest prizes, finally shattering the view Arsene Wenger had lost his winning touch and representing emergence from years of financial constraints originating from the self-funded move to Emirates Stadium.
Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott stood on the Wembley pitch a year later in 2015 after retaining the trophy, talking about targeting the Premier League title. Yet, that proved a step too far. The Gunners were a distant second as Leicester secured the most improbable League success in 2016 and by 2017 another FA Cup triumph was insufficient to address wider concerns the club were drifting under Wenger.
The Frenchman became the most successful individual manager in FA Cup history, an undeniably fine achievement but also one that suggested he belonged to a different era: a man accused of having lost his magic lifting a trophy many believed had suffered the same fate.
Some would argue these FA Cup wins prolonged the inevitable, deepening the malaise that eventually led to Wenger's departure and ultimately proved too much for Unai Emery to tackle.
He was part of the team that won in 2014 and 2015 — the only trophies he ever won in England aside from the Community Shield — and Arteta recognises the job he has in galvanising a club that has become divided in the stands and the dressing room.
The FA Cup could play an important role in that task in a number of ways, not least the unifying effect a run can have on fans but also in validating a young coach starting out in management as he seeks to establish his credentials and plot a path back to the top.
Arteta said: “When I arrived here [as a player in 2011] we were trying to win the Premier League but didn't quite have the level to compete for the title every year. So, the cups became very important and, after eight years without winning anything, it was a massive relief when we lifted the FA Cup in 2014.
“That success generated a really good belief and unity around our team and helped that group of players to achieve more. Winning always brings togetherness and when you win trophies those shared memories stay within the group. You like the people you work with more and believe more in your team. You become addicted to winning and that's what we have to try to implement again.”
As ever, though, Arteta must balance the need to progress with a degree of rotation given the gruelling festive schedule.
Gabriel Martinelli returned to training at the weekend, following a hamstring problem, and could be involved, while Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Rob Holding are also pushing to start.
Opponents Leeds arrive top of the Championship , roared on by 9,000 travelling fans and led by Marcelo Bielsa, a man whom Arteta considers a managerial icon.
They, too, will rotate, with Bielsa confirming Helder Costa and Stuart Dallas will be rested, with Ilian Meslier and Robbie Gotts making their debuts as their promotion bid takes priority.
The League is Arteta's primary concern, too, with Champions League football the clear aim. But the Spaniard will hope the FA Cup can have a regenerative effect in 2020.