The exhilaration was sky-high at Arsenal for their first Champions League match in six years. They even printed the lyrics to the competition’s anthem in the program for the big night.
Not many sang along when “Zadok the Priest” played over the speakers at a rainy Emirates Stadium, but you could hear the crowd cheer as the familiar tune started, finally releasing from the agony of missing Europe’s best club tournament for so long.
Determined to make the most of their long-awaited return to the Champions League, Arsenal did not disappoint, coasting to a 4-0 rout of PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday with the authority you’d expect from a seasoned European club.
None of the starting 11 from their last Champions League match in 2017 still play for the team. But this new group showed they belong on this stage.