AS BASEBALL legend Yogi Berra once said: “It’s like de ja vu all over again.”

It certainly feels that way, after Arsenal were drawn against familiar opponents once again, with the news that the north Londoners will face Olympiacos in the Europa League round of 16.

With the Gunners having already faced the Greek giants 10 times in European competition before next month’s two-legged ties, there was a sense of deflation following the draw in Nyon on Friday thanks to over-familiarity.

Certainly, when many were hoping for a tasty rematch against Unai Emery and his Villarreal side, or, when you consider the spice created with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s impending return to Old Trafford.

Even resurgent Rangers’ clash against Slavia Prague – the side than knocked out Leicester, the Gunners opponents on Sunday – looks more appealing to the neutral.

But to dismiss Arsenal’s forthcoming clash with the 45-time Greek champions as a dull one is to forget the drama from last season.

Amid the foreboding over the forthcoming Covid crisis in late February 2020 that was to change everything we hold dear, who can forget the sporting agony inflicted on Arsenal in north London at the end of that fateful game.

Who recalls the frustration when watching Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang miss a glaring chance with the last kick of the match as Arteta’s side crashed out at the hands of Olympiacos?

Who remembers the ecstasy when Aubameyang, so often Arsenal’s saviour, appeared to have saved the day when his superb scissor-kick — which cancelled out Pape Abou Cisse’s opener — put the home side in the driving seat with only seven minutes remaining in extra time.

But, when the visitors punished poor defending for a second time that evening, when Youssef El Arabi poked home in front of their thousands of vociferous supporters at the Emirates, who recalls the utter shock – which was then compounded when the unmarked Aubameyang somehow missed from five yards out to send Arsenal spinning out of Europe. Whatever it was, it wasn’t dull.

So, with Arsenal successfully avoiding another Europa League knockout, nearly a year to the day since their Greek tragedy, with a stirring 10 minutes that could have saved the club’s season, let’s savour the forthcoming clash, instead of scoffing at it.

The win against Benfica, at the Olympiacos home ground in Athens’s port of Piraeus, also ensured further prize money and TV revenue.

While Europa League revenues are nowhere near that flowing from the Champions League, at the top table of continental football, in an underachieving, Covid-disrupted season, they are still vital to the cash-strapped Gunners who need every penny.

While there is an acknowledgement by many fair-minded supporters that Mike Arteta has a huge job in rebuilding and reshaping the squad into his likeness, defeat at the hands of Benfica in an early Euro knock-out — coupled with an underwhelming 11th place in the Premier League — would have seen an avalanche of serious questions raised.

And they would have been well within their rights to question the progress the club is making.

However, rather than a turnaround that stalled, Thursday night’s turnaround stalled further questioning of Arteta — for now.

What the vital victory has bought him is the one thing managers under pressure need: time.

Let’s hope Arteta makes the most of it — including learning from the errors of their previous clash with Olympiacos.

Otherwise it really will be de ja vu all over again.