It was good way to get back into the swing of things for me too. Unused as i was to a 2.30am kick-off after a 4 month reprieve, I must admit that for a few brief moments before the game I was sitting there blurry-eyed and wondering what the hell possesses an otherwise normal person to give up the comfort of bed to watch a ball being kicked around on a pitch. It takes dedication (and a healthy dose of stupidity) to drag your body out of a warm bed and sit in front of the TV in order to subject yourself to what can sometimes turn into 90 minutes of sheer anxious torture.
This game felt different though. Although it was the first game of a season in which we have an awful lot of pride riding, I did not feel nervous at all. Something about the way the boys held themselves told me that i had nothing to worry about, despite a somewhat shaking first few minutes. Everton were defending well and not letting Arsenal get into a rhythm with their passing, we could not hold possession of the ball. But then the tide changed.
Unlikely though it may have seemed last season, it was Bendtner playing on the wing who created the chance from which we opened the scoresheet. The tall Dane slipped a quick pass to Captain Fab, who in turn took a slight incisive touch of the ball and laid up a perfect opportunity for Denilson who found the top left-hand corner with an unstoppable rocket.
From that point on the goals just came rolling in. The new guy Vermaelen and Gallas both got lucky with some bad defending to score from headers, Fabregas netted two of his own, and Eduardo who had come on as a substitute, opened up his own goal-scoring sheet after a lengthy absence following his horrific injury last season.
The scoreline was enough to send any Arsenal fan into raptures, but in all honesty the most satisfying part of the entire game for me was the fact that we still seemed to have a lot left in our reserve tank. The Russian had a shocker, and Van Persie had some good moments but also disappeared for a good proportion of the game too.
To have scored 6-1 against Everton, and still feel as though you are nowhere near your best?? Now that should send out a nice little threatening signal to all those teams who had counted us out this season.
I am salivating at the thought of what is yet to come...
