An Alexis Sanchez wonder goal saw Arsenal produce a great second-half fightback and ensure their Europa League campaign started with a 3-1 victory over FC Cologne.
The game was delayed by an hour in the interests of crowd safety, but I would much rather focus on what happened on the pitch at the Emirates, although things got worse for the hosts as they fell behind to Jhon Cordoba's long-range strike after just 10 minutes.
When the draw was first done and Arsenal were put into a group alongside Cologne, Bate Borisov and Red Star Belgrade it was very uninspiring...much like the first half at the Emirates!
It was a very poor first half from the Gunners, but Arsene Wenger's men definitely made up for it after the restart where they showed a lot more hunger and desire to win the game, picking up a deserved three-point haul thanks to goals from substitute Sead Kolasinac, Sanchez and Hector Bellerin.
But the slow start in the first half is something that really needs addressed, especially with a trip to champions Chelsea next on the horizon.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina made a complete mess of things as he rushed from his line to make a clearance and gifted possession straight back to the opposition. Although poor goalkeeping played a big part in the opening goal, Cordoba still deserves huge credit for taking advantage of the situation and showing great vision to score as he lobbed his Colombian international colleague from distance.
The hosts nearly produced an instant response, but Olivier Giroud's effort was tipped over the crossbar by Timo Horn in the Cologne goal, who then saved another header from Nacho Monreal soon after.
Theo Walcott should have done better after latching onto a pass from Alex Iwobi, but the forward scuffed his shot wide under pressure from Cologne defender Konstantin Rausch.
The offside flag came to Arsenal's rescue shortly before the half-hour mark. Ospina fumbled a cross from Rausch before appearing to bring down Jonas Hector in the box. Fortunately for the Gunners the offside flag had already been raised and it was a big let off for the hosts. It was not so fortunate for Hector though as the Cologne defender was forced off injured soon after.
Arsenal tried, but failed, to get back into the game before half-time as Mohamed Elneny sent a shot wide before Giroud headed off target following a decent cross by Sanchez.
After a disappointing first half I was genuinely wondering if this was going to turn into a European nightmare for us, but luckily substitute Kolasinac had other ideas. Less than five minutes after coming off the bench the left-back levelled the scores with a great volley. Walcott's touch had taken him away from goal, but he managed to get a cross in which deflected up into the air and Kolasinac met it with a powerful volley into the net.
Arsenal could have been celebrating another volleyed goal soon after had Iwobi not sent his effort over the bar. At the other end, Leonardo Bittencourt stung the palms of Ospina with a long-range strike, but it was Arsenal who were now looking by far the better team.
The hosts had the bit between their teeth and came close to taking the lead after 63 minutes, only to be denied by a decent save from Horn. Ainsley Maitland-Niles made a great run through midfield with a few one-twos on route before skipping around the last defender, but Horn was out quickly to block his effort.
But the Cologne goalkeeper could do nothing about the stunning strike from Sanchez four minutes later. The Chilean international was forced wide to the left and cut back inside, holding off numerous challenges before somehow curling the ball into the far corner. It was a truly great goal and one that shows just why we needed to keep him this summer.
Although Arsenal were very much in the ascendancy they didn't have it all their own way, with Ospina having to be alert to parry Cordoba's drive behind for a corner.
Sanchez tried to grab his second goal of the game, but his free-kick was saved by Horn before he lifted another shot wide soon after. At the other end, Cologne sub Milos Jojic saw his strike comfortably saved by Ospina.
Arsenal put the result beyond doubt as Bellerin netted their third goal of the evening eight minutes from time. Kolasinac put in a low cross and substitute Jack Wilshere sold a great dummy, confusing two defenders in the process, before Walcott saw his shot parried by Horn. But Bellerin was on hand to sweep home the rebound and seal a much-needed win for the Gunners.
Youngster Reiss Nelson came on for the final eight minutes of the match and he looks like he could be one to watch for the future.
Arsenal very nearly added a fourth goal two minutes from time following some sublime build-up play. Some fine passing and a few cheeky back-heels helped the Gunners break forward, but the move sadly wasn't rewarded with an end product as Sanchez's chip sailed across goal and wide.
Cologne tried to reduce the deficit late on, but Bittencourt's effort was blocked by the defence as Arsenal held on for a vital win.
GROUP H
It is still very early days after just one round of fixtures, but Arsenal are where they want to be at the top of Group H. Red Star Belgrade and Bate Borisov shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw to leave the Gunners two points clear of their nearest rivals.
A trip to Belarus to face Bate Borisov awaits in the next round of Europa League fixtures later this month and, although it has the potential to be a tricky match, we should really be targeting maximum points from this one.
It is hard to really analyse the direction of our Europa League journey after just one game, but we need to make sure we play less like the first half and more like the second in the coming weeks if it is to be a successful one.
Anything other than getting top spot in Group H would be a disappointment for me, but as I have learnt from watching Arsenal over the years, anything is possible and I am taking nothing for granted.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Hopefully we can build on the second-half display and the goal from Sanchez can really kick-start his season.
I'm still not overly confident about how we will do this season, but it is vital we go to Chelsea with the right attitude if we are to have any chance of getting something from the game.
Arsene Wenger has a superior record over his Chelsea counter-part Antonio Conte in competitive fixtures between the two sides and players and fans alike will be keen to banish the memories of our last away match - the horror show at Anfield.
The season may still be in its infancy, but for me the next league game is an ideal chance for us to prove a point. We need to prove we are not going to just fade with a whimper and that we can compete with our biggest rivals in the Premier League. We need to have the right attitude and show plenty of mental strength and desire and the performance is just as important as the result at Stamford Bridge.
There is potential for a lot to go right...or wrong...and we need to make sure it isn't the latter. Now is the time to try and hold our heads high and prove a point, but if we fail to do so things could spiral out of control. The manner of the performance at Chelsea really is key and we have to get everything spot on so let's all get behind the lads!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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