Football is a heck of a lot of fun sometimes…in the end. Riddle me this: is there anything in the world more satisfying than a last minute winner? If there is then I haven’t experienced it yet, because what we were treated to under the lights last night was an exhilaration that just can’t be matched in many other situations in life. And to do it against an opponent like Man United, where history is so steeped and where our connected respective pasts are so entwined, well, it was just very delicious and juicy indeed.

I’ll admit to some serious nerves pre game. I met a few gents for some jars in The Rocket pub and I will hold my hands up and admit that I feared a skanking. I have too much scar tissue you see; I’ve seen us batter them and lose on too many occasions to just swat aside the threat that United pose. And this season under Ten Haag they have been getting better and better. They are on the up and you can see that.

But guess what? So are we. We REALLY are and yesterday afternoons win felt significant. Big time significant. Before the game I remember saying that I am still not thinking about the title. In my head I am still wanting to just get us top four secured so we can get back in the Champions League. Edu said last summer that this was the season that we have to get top four in our ‘Process’ and that is what my mind has been fixated on. But I made an admission yesterday and that was that there are two milestones for me to turn me from “yeah, let’s just get top four” to “we might actually win this league you know”. The first was last night: beat Man United and overcome the only opponent to beat us this season. That is milestone one. Then milestone two is for us to be several points clear come match day 25. I don’t know why I seem to have arbitrarily picked that game, but it’s lodged in my brain now and if we are five clear having played 25 matches, I think I might start talking up our credentials.

But back to the game yesterday, in which Arteta named an unchanged team from the North London Derby and I don’t think anybody would have been surprised with that, because we’d had a week off and we were fresh and ready for our next big test. And we started as we usually start this season; we controlled ball and possession, we looked composed and like we wanted to impose ourselves on this football match. So of course United went ahead against the run of play. Johnny was with me and he thought that perhaps Ramsdale could be saving Rashford’s goal, but I think that is harsh; it was a good strike from a player who is in fine form and sometimes you just have to take the hit. It stings a little but as long as you get back up and continue swinging then it’s all good. And we did get straight back up and began banging down on the United door and within seven minutes of Rashford’s goal, Eddie had headed us level. It was a deserved equaliser from a team who had been on top for most of the first half.

The hope at halftime was that we would continue the onslaught and when we did kick off we did indeed pick up where we left off. We controlled space, territory and the ball and it only took eight minutes in to that second half for us to make our pressure tell. Bukayo Saka is fast becoming the best player in the league, if he isn’t already, and his curled finish from the edge of the box is the sort of elite, game-changing, finishes that teams who win titles have in their side. The Emirates erupted, the atmosphere was dialled up on the decibels, it felt like this was the turnaround that we’d been waiting for.

So of course United go and score again, don’t they?

It was from a corner too, which we’ve been good at defending this season, but whilst I don’t think Ramsdale can shoulder too much blame for the first goal, for the second he will probably be somewhat annoyed with himself. his attempt at gathering the ball was poor and Martinez’s flick up header may have felt a little fortunate, but we still could have done more to prevent that goal I felt.

But the Emirates is a different place this season. There are no grumbles, only home fans dialling up the noise in support of the boys and that is exactly what we did. And the team responded, fashioning more and more chances, pinning United back so they were reduced to hoofing the ball away from their goal as the clock ticked down. Then, step forward that man Eddie again with his second of the game to send everyone in to raptures. I have a confession though; I didn’t actually celebrate. I waited for VAR to rule it out. “A last minute winner against Man United to keep our lead at the top of the league in tact? That doesn’t happen to us” I thought. Then when the goal was given and the United players trudged back to the centre circle, I just felt stunned. “Is this actually happening? Are we actually going to do this?” I mused to myself.

Yes it is actually happening, Chris. And yes we are actually doing it. We may not win the league, we are only halfway through the season, but this is a team that has shown already so much heart and determination, that regardless of the outcome, the journey so far has been utterly splendid.

And so today we can bask in the warming glow of three points to The Arsenal. A hard-fought, well-earned, vitally important, three points.

Happy days.

Have a good one peeps. Catch you all tomorrow.