The atmosphere, great mates, amazing stewards, the magic of the FA Cup, seeing my team start the defence of their title and a top result. My trip to the Emirates couldn't have been much better as I watched my beloved Arsenal beat Hull 2-0.
The excitement had been building ever since I received an Arsenal membership and match ticket for the FA Cup tie as a very special birthday/Christmas present from my girlfriend.
I love Arsenal Football Club and have seen almost every single one of their games this season one way or another, although I don't get to see them live very often. Previously I had seen my beloved Gunners live twice - a 1-0 defeat at Leeds and a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough - so this was only my second visit to the Emirates. It doesn't make me any less of a fan that I don't get to go too often, I am still Arsenal to the core and watch virtually all the games and I live and breathe Arsenal!
When we got to the stadium my friend and I watched a bit of the Yeovil vs Manchester United FA Cup clash before making our way to our seats. I knew we were in the top tier but I somewhat underestimated just how high up our seats were. I don't have a fear of heights as such but when it comes to stadiums and arenas it always makes me feel a bit faint being too high up. One of the stewards happened to realise this and the next thing I knew we were being found new seats very near to the pitch. I would like to thank the stewards for such excellent customer service. Although I would've had to force myself to manage in the original seats, the move made for a more relaxed and enjoyable experience and this shows another dimension to this great football club.
Before the game got underway I caught sight of former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour, who was sat only a few rows away, and it just added to the already special feeling of the day. The atmosphere was great and I was feeling on top of the world and with one of my best friends. I found myself thinking the only thing that can affect whether this day gets better or worse now is the result.
Memories of the 2014 FA Cup Final were undoubtedly at the forefront of many of the Gunners fans' minds as the game kicked-off. Arsene Wenger's men looked set to continue their trophy drought when Hull took a 2-0 lead in last season's Wembley showpiece but then goals from Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny turned the game on its head before Aaron Ramsey's extra-time winner. I was sat wondering, could I be witnessing the first step on the road to defending our title in 2015. Wenger had never lost an FA Cup third round tie before so the odds were stacked in our favour, although we knew all too well that the visitors couldn't be taken lightly.
Arsenal were in control for much of the first-half but only led by a solitary goal at the break thanks to Per Mertesacker. The German defender rose highest and escaped his opposite number Curtis Davis to nod in the opener after 20 minutes.
The Gunners almost doubled their advantage before the break when Tomas Rosicky played in Alexis Sanchez but Paul McShane superbly cleared the Chilean's effort off the line.
Sanchez, who yet again impressed for the hosts, had better luck in the second half when he sealed the victory and his side's passage into the next round eight minutes from time. Cazorla set up Sanchez on the edge of the box and the winger controlled it excellently before spinning and firing a shot into the bottom corner.
It was a fully deserved win for the Gunners against a Hull side who never really got going. Some may say the hosts only won due to weak opposition but you can only beat what is put in front of you and personally I found plenty of positives from the match.
Firstly, seeing Sanchez live in the flesh made my already high opinion of the player even higher. From watching him this season it is already clear just how good a summer signing he is and how phenomenal his work-rate continues to be. I had already noticed how much he hates losing the ball and how often he tracks back to regain possession but it was so much more impressive seeing it first hand. He really does cover an amazing amount of ground and his passion and desire to succeed was even more evident against Hull. Time after time he would sprint back to help out the midfield and defence. It is not often you hear people saying that about wingers but his work-rate really is immense. The other thing that stood out is how much he tries to control the game. It has already been previously clear just how influential he is but I began to notice just how often he is shouting helpful orders to his team-mates and making sure his side stays one step ahead. It doesn't always work but his work rate certainly shone through against the Tigers.
The back four was also a huge positive. Regulars Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy were absent from the starting line-up and some may have expected the usual errors to creep in but instead the back four stayed solid and it was a very composed performance. Although Koscielny and Debuchy need to come back in soon, part of me was left thinking maybe Wenger should name an unchanged starting XI next time out. The back four were calm and collected which is not something we have been able to say many times this season. Youngster Hector Bellerin continues to look impressive when given a chance and he is certainly an exciting prospect for the future.
Francis Coquelin was another stand-out player for me. Going from being on loan at Charlton to playing like he belongs in the first team is testament to his hard work and he thoroughly deserves his place at the moment. Once the more regular starts regain fitness he is likely to lose his place but he has certainly given Wenger food for thought. He looked very composed on the ball and pulled the strings in midfield and when the ball needed to be won back he seemed to appear in the right place at the right time - a very positive performance. Without wanting to dampen the praise too much there were two slight negatives. One was a poor challenge that saw him booked, although some say it should've been a red card, but that was the only mark against him in what was an impressive display. The only other frustrating aspect is, although I am starting to rate Coquelin more and more, he could end up becoming the reason Wenger doesn't sign a defensive midfielder in January as he feels the 23-year-old can do the job. Although he is developing into a great player, I would rather see us buy an experienced defensive midfielder, to fill a position that is much needed in our line-up, and let Coquelin develop as an under-study with a view to being a regular starter within a few seasons.
Although he wasted some chances against the Tigers, it was great to see Theo Walcott make his first start for a year as he continues his recovery from injury and the more game time he gets over the next few weeks the more likely he is to get back to top form.
The performance overall wasn't perfect and we should've been a lot more clinical in attack but the clean sheet was a huge boost for the defence and will hopefully give us a positive platform to build on.
As for the FA Cup, we go into the hat for the next round and still have a great chance of defending our title, although it won't be easy. I'd rather avoid Chelsea and Manchester City in the next round but believe so long as we can get a home tie we should be okay. Whatever happens I love the FA Cup, I loved my day at the Emirates and I love Arsenal.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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