As that Champions League music started up I confess I had a tear or two of emotion in my eye. By the end of the match, those tears were tears of utter joy.
Was it raining? Gee, I hadn’t noticed.
Yes, Arsenal returned to the Champions League in emphatic style last night as we thundered into our first campaign in six years with an impressive win over PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium.
Our opening Group B game saw a thrilling first half display - much like the weather, the goals were simply raining down. Bukayo Saka’s stunning opener scoring after eight minutes, Leandro Trossard's wonderful smooth low finish twelve minutes later, and Jesus’s thoroughly deserved third just seven minutes before half-time.
Although Mikel Arteta made a bunch of changes in the second half - no doubt with Sunday's North London derby in mind (Smith-Rowe’s arrival being of particular note) - we stayed in command up until the end. Martin Odegaard made it four - a gloriously powerful strike with 20 minutes left.
So it was a euphoric night, a stupendous result, and all so richly deserved.
#COYG #ARSPSV @Arsenal