Giroud had flicked a fraction behind Jack but instinctively Wilshere flicked out his heal and continued his run but the best part of the goal for me (I guess we all have our own favourite part) is Giroud’s final assist. There is plenty of talk about Dennis Bergkamp doing the rounds at the moment due to his book and his, well Bergkampishness. Look at Giroud’s body position, his understanding of where Jack is running to and the weight of his flick. Tell me that is not Dennis Bergkamp conjuring something up for a Freddie Ljungberg diagonal run? I don’t say that lightly but if Bergkamp had produced

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Where to actually start? ok, I am going to say it as it is. I watched the highlights once again this morning and on one of the angles of Jack Wilshere’s goal I started to find tears running down my face. I’ve already seen this goal at least 30 times last night so I am not quite sure what I am playing at. A grown ass black man, in his thirties, sitting at his computer desk (fully dressed before you start taking this somewhere else) shedding a tear, yup that was me and I own up to it.

I have never cried over Arsenal before. I’ve been unbelievably happy at various times during my years as an Arsenal supporter, I’ve been devastated at certain defeats, injuries etc but never have I allowed water to pass from my eyes so I had to ask myself what made this happen and the only conclusion is that my senses couldn’t quite deal with what I had witnessed. My brain was not able to process the data on the screen so my body started to release some chemicals and hormones. Having thought about it, I am glad it was actually tears in the end, it could have got very messy, very quickly.

Anyway, enough about my strange behaviour, I want to talk about this goal. We’ve actually seen part of this before, on many occasions in fact. Almost weekly, it is just that somewhere along the move it’s broken down. I’ve seen Cazorla drive inside and play it to Wilshere before. Jack may have even played it back to Santi but I can imagine Giroud taking a step slightly too far to the right and Santi’s pass rolling past his toe to a central defender to gratefully receive the ball and clear. Cue a collective grown from the crowd and some hands on heads from the players before chasing back.

Sometimes it doesn’t have to be so intricate because there is more space for Giroud for example to turn and get a shot away or perhaps Santi would have bypassed Giroud and chipped over the top to Sagna on the far side. Wilshere’s goal yesterday looked like we attempted the most difficult and intricate of moves yet every part of the move came off to perfection.

Hard to believe that we had scored a goal like that without both Mesut Özil or indeed Aaron Ramsey playing a part in the goal, such is the talent in this squad. I have to be honest, in real time when I originally witnessed the goal I didn’t quite know what happened. Obviously I saw a few flicks and Wilshere’s first time slot on his weaker foot but I had a horrible feeling that it was offside. Imagine that for a second, imagine Anthony Taylor was holding that flag on the far side *shudders*

It was only looking back at the replay did I start to truly appreciate what I had just witnessed. Giroud had flicked a fraction behind Jack but instinctively Wilshere flicked out his heal and continued his run but the best part of the goal for me (I guess we all have our own favourite part) is Giroud’s final assist. There is plenty of talk about Dennis Bergkamp doing the rounds at the moment due to his book and his, well Bergkampishness. Look at Giroud’s body position, his understanding of where Jack is running to and the weight of his flick. Tell me that is not Dennis Bergkamp conjuring something up for a Freddie Ljungberg diagonal run? I don’t say that lightly but if Bergkamp had produced that deftness of touch we would all be rightfully lauding him for it.

When talking about Giroud and his position in this team we have to almost forget about his goal input, not quite but you know what I mean. Giroud is much more than that. I partly got it last season but I think I fully understand now. Giroud is the key that opens the door for our wildly talented and creative midfield. At this moment in time, and maybe I am giddy with all this ridiculous beauty but to replace Giroud you have to find exactly Giroud but with more pace. I am committing myself to the back up striker and not automatic replacement crowd.

Jack Wilshere had started the game as he left off at the Hawthorns before the break of proper footy, he had that swagger about him and Arsene continued him from the right where he switched mid-game in that same match against West Brom. His transitions from wide to central looked easier from that side. Aaron Ramsey was rightly rested but it wasn’t long before he had to kick off his slippers and replace them with his magic football boots as Flamini typically threw his body on the line and suffered from concussion. Fingers crossed he is ok for the Dortmund game coming up.

A lot of people are saying that we became dysfunctional after Flamini left the pitch, I have to disagree with that a little. We had dropped off before the collision and this has been a factor for the whole season. Start quickly, get ahead, soak up pressure and kill the game off on the break. I didn’t feel as comfortable with our surrender of the ball as previous matches I must say. I had a cigar on against Napoli for example but didn’t quite feel that same ease as Norwich upped their gears. That said Szczesny was only really tested from distance. I felt like Koscielny who had suffered a slight dip in recent weeks was back to his best. Zooming past strikers, recovering the ball and beginning Arsenal attacks.

Arsenal pulled out there 2013/14 match template book and got to work on the next step.

1) Impress from the off
2) Score the first goal
3) Sit back
4) Ah the opposition are getting back into the game
5) Arsenal score the counter second

Santi who must have had Kryptonite around his neck, looked like a human being rather than his super hero self, which is to be expected on his first game back, drove at Norwich, fed Giroud out on the right, Giroud adjusted his feet, the play maker floated a wonderful cross to the head of the target man Özil in the box to power home a trademark header. I shall come back from the Twilight zone after I’ve gone for that coffee with Kelly Brook.

Without the ego that is Ronaldo around, Özil is growing into the scoring midfield role. His desire to get in the box was obvious when the move was developing. His first header in his professional career I think I read which is astonishing considering the amount of top level football he has played. I guess it is hard to get in the box when you are expected to make those type of crosses yourself.

Norwich wiped the smugness away from my lips with a very well taken goal. In fact a quick word to Norwich who are struggling at the bottom end of the table. They are a better side than the position suggests. They took the game to us after our opener and deserve credit.

Now to Aaron Ramsey. Listen mate, I am getting a little tired of writing about you now. As I said earlier, he had to skip his rest time due to injury, rest time that he fully deserves but I noticed that when he came on he played a much more reserved game initially. He has developed Koscielny-esque cobra style tackling. Waiting for his opponents to show a fraction of ball before whipping in. Check his tackling numbers, they are quite insane.

He and Arteta sat off the attack and let the other creative players do that side of the game. Reserved Ramsey only lasted so long before he decided enough was enough.

Firstly he was driving into the gap outside of the Norwich penalty area and unleashed a few thunderbolts that the impressive Ruddy had to deal with. Then Aaron who had run the show for Wales once again during the internationals got into the box dummied his way past three Norwich players before rifling in. Ramsey even dummied Gibbs in the celebration such is his form right now. A wonderful individual goal. What else does Ramsey have to learn to complete his game? Make diving penalty saves? or score towering headers? Because he has everything else right now. He can beat players with skill, power, can shoot, can find a through pass, spread the play, tackle, intercept. He even proved how woeful he is on the wing late in the game by shimmying down the wing then pirouetting past two baffled Norwich City players before back healing into Özil’s path. The German must be thinking about how he has to raise his game to reach the world class standards of Rambo. Yeah, that was a joke initially but may have to stew over that for a while.

Who remembers Ramsey’s debut as a 17 year old against Barnet one preseason? He was demanding the ball then, he has always had that in his character. Fearless. Now it looks like he knows he is the best player on the pitch. Next step is doing this sh*t at Old Trafford, Dortmund and cup finals. Here is the scary thing, he has just come out of that developmental stage. He hasn’t even started taking those experience steps yet. I remember Henry coming back better every season, if Ramsey follows that path then wow, we will have some midfielder on our hands. He is still just 22 years of age.

Tomas Rosicky came on for Santi, I kinda wanted Tomas to start ahead of Wilshere before the game started, so glad he didn’t because we wouldn’t have witnessed that goal but our evergreen Czech played his part in our fourth of the game. Receiving substitute Bendtner’s pass he crossed very well to the far post for Ramsey to touch back on the volley to Özil who turned poacher supreme to tap home from close range. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Rosicky is the best crosser at the club. Nicklas Bendtner looked sharper in his cameo, there even feels like a softening of stance from the Arsenal fans towards him. He could have scored earlier on but for one of many good stops from the Rudster.

I’ll be here for ages if I pick everyone out so a quick thumbs up to Szczesny, Gibbs and Rosicky from the bench.

Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still to return, I think I am welling up again. I’m not a one game at a time kinda guy as you know. I am sticking with we are the team to beat for now, should that change then I will deal with those emotions then. I don’t know about you but bring on Dortmund.