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The Europa League may be the competition Arsenal never wanted anything to do with, but it could turn out to prove rather useful.
European football has been a chastening experience for the Gunners in recent years. Their consistency in the Champions League was both a blessing and a curse: impressive for their longevity in qualifying, but ending with a painful annual reminder of inadequacies against the best sides around.
BATE Borisov are a good example of the type of limited opposition Arsenal will face in Europe’s second-tier event, just as Cologne were before them.
There had been talk of a hostile reception for Arsenal beforehand, but the most troubling aspect of the Borisov Arena was actually getting to it, located as it is an hour outside Minsk.
Arsene Wenger and his players were mobbed by fans - and local journalists - seeking autographs and pictures after a game attended by many locals donning Arsenal red. BATE were receptive hosts on the pitch, too, allowing Arsenal to ease into a 3-0 lead after just 22 minutes.
Some of the defending was comical, but the Gunners looked slick in possession and dangerous at almost every turn, despite fielding a much-changed team containing a mix of fringe players and youngsters in the 4-2 win.
The Europa League has the potential to salvage the Arsenal careers of several players, perhaps most notably Jack Wilshere, who excelled in a more advanced role behind central striker Olivier Giroud in Wenger’s 3-4-2-1 system.
The sight of Wilshere gliding between the lines and probing BATE’s defence with incisive passing and clever movement on a day when England manager Gareth Southgate bemoaned his lack of options was a reminder of just what possibilities lie ahead for the 25-year-old.
An international recall is further down the line, however, given this was his first European start for almost three years, but it won’t take many more performances like this to convince both Arsenal and England of his worth.
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Theo Walcott will hope to pursue a similar path. He scored twice early on to give Arsenal breathing space and revelled in a rare outing, hitting the post and going close with one other first-half chance for his hat-trick.
Instead, Rob Holding added Arsenal’s third, diverting home Per Mertesacker’s header with little forethought. It was, nevertheless, a confidence-boosting moment for the 22-year-old, whose performances have come under close scrutiny already this season.
And, on a collective level, the injection of self-belief these midweek victories can have should not be underestimated. It is one of football’s maxims that success breeds further success - and Arsenal have settled into a nice rhythm after their habitual jitters of the opening weeks.
Sterner tests are to come, but they will feel fortified for them as players with a point to prove enhance competition for places, while the club’s next generation receive an extended chance to further reinforce the notion that Arsenal are a club moving forward.
There have been concerns in recent seasons at the lack of young talent coming through, with Alex Iwobi and Hector Bellerin the last two to establish themselves in the senior set-up.
Therefore, the fact that Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock displayed maturity beyond their years to slot in effectively here will be of great satisfaction to Wenger, his staff and other youngsters eyeing a pathway to the first team. There was even a chance for teenagers Marcus McGuane and Edward Nketiah to make their debuts late on.
"We had a team that was a mix of experience and young players," said Wenger. "Overall, we had good cohesion, played football we want to play with good pace in our game. We maintained that for 65 minutes but the last 20 was more difficult. Overall, I’m very pleased with our performance."
There was the odd cause for concern, as Mirko Ivanic reduced the deficit to 3-1, and after Giroud scored his 100th Arsenal goal from the spot, BATE rallied, scoring again through Mikhail Gordeychuk before causing a few late scares.
But, ultimately, this was another step forward for Wenger and his team in creating renewed optimism for the bigger tasks at hand. Thursday night football can have its benefits after all.