Arsenal left it late, but three goals in the final eight minutes ensured Arsene Wenger's farewell began in style with a 4-1 win over West Ham in his penultimate home league game.
Wenger recently announced he would be leaving at the end of the season after 22 years at the club and, although it is the right time for change, there is no doubting what he has done for us especially in the early part of his reign.
It is the end of an era and I'm sure I'll look back on his time at the club fondly once he's gone. It's been very tough at times, but I'll never forget the success of the league titles, history-making FA Cup success, not to mention the unbeaten season.
Although I love the FA Cup and any success we've had in it, the latter years of Wenger's reign have brought with it more frustration than joy. Some sections of the fanbase wanted him gone longer ago and, at times, things were feeling a bit toxic, but I thought he would stay one more year.
Instead he is leaving at the end of this season, which I truly believe is the right time for him to go. As for a replacement, I am torn between wanting a young and upcoming manager to be given a chance and hoping we get an experienced head to steady the ship for a few years first.
Either way, the fans need to try help make sure Wenger is given a fond farewell. His future has been decided so hopefully he can go out with a bang.
Bringing in Thierry Henry was a stroke of genius and some of the players we had on our books during his reign - Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira to name a few - were fantastic. Some of the football was sensational, but then how we've got from that to the struggles we've had in recent seasons can't be ignored.
It is time for fresh blood, but I think most Arsenal fans, whichever side of the fence they sit on, will remember the good times and hope we can end on a high.
Some of the frustrating defensive frailties were again on show against West Ham, but at least we showed some clinical finishing in front of goal in the final quarter of the match to seal the points.
We remain in sixth, four points clear of Burnley, who drew 1-1 at Stoke and are the next opponents to visit the Emirates in the Premier League.
The team selection saw a fair few changes, with Petr Cech, Jack Wilshere and Sead Kolasinac all injured and Mesut Ozil ill. Undoubtedly fans will have questioned why on earth Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was on the bench. The striker can't play in the Europa League so surely it would have made sense to play him against West Ham, but on the other hand with the semi-final looming trying to play as similar a line-up to that game also makes sense. I'd still rather have seen him start though!
Arsenal had the first big chance of the match as Laurent Koscielny sent a header just wide from Granit Xhaka's corner, but West Ham probably had the best of the opening 45 minutes.
Joao Mario shot straight at David Ospina in the Arsenal goal, before Shkodran Mustafi produced a last-ditch tackle to keep out Marko Arnautovic. Arnautovic was soon in the thick of the action again as he latched onto a ball over the top, but his powerful shot was excellently parried by Ospina.
Chances continued to come and go for the visitors as Cheikhou Kouyaté headed over before Edimilson Fernandes sent a volley off target.
Arsenal also wasted chances with Hector Bellerin shooting harmlessly over before Danny Welbeck twice sent efforts off target.
The Gunners' first shot on target didn't arrive until the 33rd minute when Xhaka's free-kick was excellently beaten away by Hammers' goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Welbeck headed off target from Bellerin's cross before Aaron Ramsey sent a powerful shot wide, while Arsenal lost Mohamed Elneny in the closing stages of the first half. The Egyptian midfielder was stretchered off after going in for a 50-50 challenge with Mark Noble. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who was born after Wenger took over at the club, came on to replace him.
Fortunately in the second-half commentary it was revealed that Elneny had just rolled his ankle and it didn't look serious.
Arsenal improved in the second half with Monreal wasting a chance within two minutes of the restart. Alexandre Lacazette chipped a cross on, which Welbeck chested down for Monreal to fire a shot at goal, but it was straight into the arms of Hart.
The Spanish full-back made no mistake next time as Arsenal broke the deadlock after 51 minutes. Xhaka whipped in a corner and Monreal met it with a crisp first-time volley into the bottom corner.
Ramsey sent a shot wide before West Ham began to grow back into the game, creating some decent chances before their equalising goal. Manuel Lanzini's free-kick was headed over by fellow substitute Javier Hernandez before Arnautovic volleyed over the crossbar soon after.
The Hammers got a deserved equaliser after 64 minutes when Arsenal failed to clear their lines and Lanzini dinked the ball over to Arnautovic, who blasted a shot beyond Ospina into the far corner.
Hart then produced two fantastic saves to keep the scores level. The England international got down low to get his fingertips to Xhaka's long-range shot and push it round a post. The goalkeeper then came up with an even better save to parry Welbeck's curling effort which looked to be heading into the far corner.
Arsenal took the lead in rather fortuitous circumstances eight minutes from time. Ramsey curled in a cross and for some reason West Ham's Declan Rice ducked and the ball bounced over him and past Hart for a simple goal.
The Gunners then opened up the floodgates as Lacazette grabbed a late double. A good move saw the ball worked into the box before the French striker took a touch and fired a shot in off Aaron Cresswell from a tight angle. Lacazette soon had his second when Ramsey picked him out in space to slot home from close range.
It could have been five had Xhaka not fired a shot over the crossbar in injury time, but it was an important victory for Arsenal after the recent defeat against Newcastle.
OPPOSITION VIEW
West Ham fan Adam Brown believes the introduction of Aubameyang proved decisive at the Emirates.
"It was the same old West Ham falling apart and Arsenal being ruthless in the last 10 minutes," said Brown. "Aubameyang changed the game when he came on and picked our defence apart.
"He opened things up for Lacazette, but it was two criminal defensive errors from Rice and Masuaku.
"Arsenal need an overhaul at the back - Southampton and now West Ham both made them look very average.
"If Marko had some proper support it would have been a closer game."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
If we can somehow beat Atletico Madrid over two legs, however unlikely it may seem, then Wenger could end his reign on a high with a trophy,
Either way in six or seven games time his reign will be over and it will be time for a new manager and I'll back whoever is chosen. In between the two legs is a trip to Manchester United and the final Wenger Vs Jose Mourinho battle.
Our final home league game under Wenger sees us host Burnley before back-to-back away games at Leicester and Huddersfield, so let's just hope we can reach the Europa League final so he can get a fitting send off.
I still believe it is the right decision, but the timing seems very sudden with not many games left of the season.
Let's all get behind Wenger and the boys for one final push this season and then get ready for the start of a new era.
Merci Wenger!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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