This time they faced the real Arsenal, the whirlwind that blew Tottenham out of the better half of North London. I would say though that AC Milan have a right to complain to the powers that be. They must have stepped onto that lush, green, slick pitch and gulped because the playing field had been levelled so to speak. It was now based on footballing ability and not

I was skeptical before the match, I thought it would be a huge ask to turn the first leg result around, in fact it was a huge ask but as Hot Chocolate once sang ‘I believe in miracles’

Arsene Wenger’s 2011/12 team has taken plenty of criticism, much of it unjust but games such as the first leg showed that the finger couldn’t always be pointed elsewhere.

But as with many a Wenger team in the past, when they play with maximum energy, maximum commitment and the ball moved with pace then there are not many teams in the world that can live with our us.

After the first leg, many thought that we were completely out of our depth, that the champions of Italy were a far superior outfit but that would be assuming that we had played to our maximum on the night. Far from it, we were way below our usual standards. This time they faced the real Arsenal, the whirlwind that blew Tottenham out of the better half of North London.

I would say though that AC Milan have a right to complain to the powers that be after having to play on a perfect pitch. They must have stepped onto that lush, green, slick pitch and gulped because the playing field had been levelled so to speak. It was now based on footballing ability and not destroying the other teams strength.

While I make absolutely no excuses about our application in that first leg, I though relaying the flanks before a game at that level is nothing but bringing the game into disrepute. We all now know why it was done, they were absolutely murdered in their full back positions. Two or our three goals came from the wide areas.

The argument that both teams had to play on the Milan pitch is missing out a very important detail, they knew we were strong and very fast in that area and they are an aging team who are simply not. It was cheating plain and simple. As abject as we were on then night, we would more than likely had a better end result than 4-0 if we played a Champions League match on a Champions League quality pitch.

But that is gone, it is history.

We showed how big we were with an electric first half full of movement, pressing and high tempo passing. Laurent Koscielny started the come back with a header from a corner of all things. Huge credit has to go to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It shows his quality, since he has come into the team he has automatically taken the left sided in-swinging corners. Mikel Arteta had that responsibility until the 18 year old came into the team.

He strikes his corners like a free kick, whipped with pace at head height and it was Koscielny who headed off his own shoulder and past the keeper.

You could sense the belief rise all around Ashburton Grove. The supporters and the players had a twinkle in their eyes. The noise levels increased, the movements of the players became quicker and everyone expected.

It got me thinking about the fan and player performance relationship. Think back to all our high tempo, high energy performances at the Emirates. Barcelona, Tottenham last week, Milan yesterday, Chelsea at home last season. What is the common link?

The home support all have the eye of the tiger, the adrenaline, that passion to cheer an Arsenal tackle, a track back and a corner kick. Those games just make you feel different inside. Close your eyes and think of the roar that the fans make when we got a corner last night and compare that to a corner kick at home to Bolton at a 3pm kick off.

Can you imagine the team not flying around the pitch when the crowd are as fired up as we have been in our last two home games? I cannot see it.

I am not suggesting that it is down to the fans to make the team play, the players have jobs to do and should do it regardless, I just think that an atmosphere like last night in as many games as possible is a little like your boss standing over you in the office, makes you work just that bit harder and doesn’t allow the team to drop.

Theo Walcott flew down the right and his cross was badly cleared to the feet of our little magician, Tomas Rosicky who very tidily, placed into the bottom corner. Goals appear to be like London buses, one takes ages to come and then more quickly follow. Back to back home games Tomas Rosicky has found himself on the score sheet.

The Czech maestro was magnificent on the night, his driving runs forward opened up so much space for our attackers and he let his team mates borrow his ball throughout the game. He has been written off a number of times, especially last season but I have always wondered what he could do with a run of games, especially with a player on his wavelength like Robin van Persie.

Rosicky makes those around him improve because they always have a passing option. I watched him in pre season and he is constantly on the move, making angles for others to find him. Hence his nickname.

I must say I was and still am surprised that Rosicky and Oxlade-Chamberlain had swapped roles, especially as the Ox has been playing in an attacking role this season and Rosicky has played the midfield continuity position on a few occasions already this season. Arsene obviously got that call right judging by the display and result but I would have liked the two to have switched more than they did. It was Ox’s driving run into the penalty box that lead to the penalty.

van Persie not having his best game smashed in the penalty. 3-0 at half time and you are thinking, it can only go one way now. Only one team is in this game, the other team are nervous and shaken by an electric Arsenal. Half time came at the perfect time for Milan.

They were better after the break, they kept the ball better and Arsenal legs began to tire. That was always my fear. After a 100% fighting performance against the inferiors as well as a gruelling match at Anfield you always feared that the legs would go and consequently the injuries would follow.

Before that, Gervinho had latched onto a Rosicky pass, he cut inside and hit a low shot that the keeper parried straight to the deadliest player on the pitch, his attempted lift over the keeper was clawed back into his grasp. On the replay from further out you have to wonder if Robin could have placed the ball to the keepers left as a gap seemed open but in a split second like that it is hard to make the correct decision all the time. That miss was to be the turning point in the end.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had to come off and Walcott also had to make way with a dead leg. We lost the midfield totally after that and failed to get hold of the ball. We saw the impact that Diaby made in his short 18 minutes on the pitch at Liverpool and we needed something like that last night to grab hold of the game.

Diaby, Arteta, Wilshere, Coquelin, Ramsey and Benayoun were all needed to wrestle back possession but all are out and finding the fourth goal was simply a step too far.

AC Milan had a great chance of their own to put the tie out of reach but they could not convert either.

A heroic effort from the team but it just wasn’t enough but heads can be kept high. Beating Tottenham, Liverpool and AC Milan in 10 days shows that this team may not be perfect but has plenty of quality even with a long list of injured players.

We need to use this as a template for every single game we play for this wonderful club. Regardless of the opposition. The atmosphere should be the template also. The Gooners were amazing from start to finish and no doubt the team were lifted from that.

Time to rest legs, get some players back. Fight for 3rd place and get this team back to where they should be.

Unlucky boys, the impossible was so close.