'It wasn't stage-managed, it was just joy'

[BBC]

[Getty Images]

Arsenal should celebrate. If there's one learning to be taken from the days between Saturday's victory over Fulham and Tuesday's against Atletico Madrid - it's that vibes are paramount.

For the majority of this season, Arsenal have been top of the table, soundtracked by endless talk of a quadruple or non-quadruple, unable to move for bottle memes. The sporting evidence would suggest it's been fantastic, but it's felt so hard.

I begrudgingly watched the Manchester City fans and players love every moment of their league cup victory as I shuffled out of Wembley. For a while after that, they seemed totally infallible, a giant blue behemoth blocking out the light. The importance of winning - of good feeling, particularly as energy fades - cannot be overstated.

I will never forget the Arsenal players streaming on to the pitch, Freed From Desire booming out around the ground. I'll never forget the fans drowning out Martin Keown before kick-off - sorry, Martin, but I'm proud of how loud we were.