Well that went just about as perfect as I’d imagine Mikel Arteta could have hoped for last night. Get the win to get back on the winning wagon – tick. Rotate the team to rest up some of those important legs – tick. Give minutes to those who might be a little ‘cold’ in terms of their involvement this season and match-sharpness – tick. Open play goals – tick. 99.9% secure of a Champions League qualification through beyond the next round of qualifiers – tick.

Arteta rang the changes yesterday as Jurrien Timber, Eze, Calafiori, Rice and Saka all dropped out of the starting XI, with some not even on the bench (although apparently Timber did travel with the squad so that’s a positive in terms of his fitness I hope). Rice was supposedly ‘ill’ but if it’s just a bit of a cold then that’s fine and these guys are such highly-tuned athletes, that their recovery time for colds and coughs is probably 24-48 hours. Hopefully the midweek rest gives him the opportunity to be ready for Wolves and we see some of those players returning.

But what will please Arteta more than anything else is the manner in which this rotated side played, because it didn’t look too disjointed at all. I do think we were more open defensively and given Raya had to make a number of saves in the game it kind of shows; Arsenal don’t usually concede too many shots but it felt like it was one of his more busy nights if you look at all of the numbers other than the scoreline.

That’s ultimately the one that matters though and that scoreline does all but mathematically guarantee us safe passage – I was looking at the table this morning and it’s Liverpool and Atletico Madrid who are towards the bottom of the top eight qualifiers on 12 points. The maximum they can get is 18 (what we’re on) and the swing they’d have to both have on goal difference is +13 – so there would need to be an almighty battering we’d have to take, plus they’d have to crank up big scorelines, for us to drop into the territory of being really worried.

So back to the game then, in which Arsenal showed that they were just a class ahead of their opponents, albeit still seeing Brugge take some heart in some decent chances. But after 25 minutes we were ahead and it is the kind of goal that deserves to win any game. Madueke’s solo run from just inside Brugge’s half was an example of what people have said he is capable of his whole career – he’s just not had the consistency to deliver on it. But it was one of those that you just let out a little screech when you see it go in and my “what a goal!” was enough to get The Management coming in to the lounge from the other side of the house to see what had unfolded.

I thought Madueke was brilliant last night. Last season we suffered when we lost Saka and until we found Nwaneri towards the end of the season, we didn’t really have an answer in one of our most attacking threat parts of the pitch. In Madueke we have somebody who when he comes in, the opposition aren’t going “yeah, we’re alright on that side, let’s just shut it down and focus on other areas. He was a threat and willing to go at his man all night and he caused problems throughout, including right at the start of the second half in which he bagged his second goal with the most easy of headers you’ll ever get as a player. A penny for Big Vik’s thoughts for not being there to bag one of them (thought he had another quiet one and it might be an ever-so-slight cause for concern there, but let’s park that for now), but Noni was and we were two-up, which even the Club Brugge captain admitted afterwards was pretty much game over.

They still created chances, Raya still had to make some very smart saves, but the psychological damage was done and it was a case of how Arteta managed the rotations of his team thereafter. He brought on Saka for ‘ticking over’ minutes, he even gave 60 to Gabby Jesus which was lovely to see and even though he nearly scored by hitting the bar, he’ll just be pleased to be getting a feel for the ball and covering the ground he did. I thought he looked lively and Mikel Arteta will be very pleased that he has that option now available to him for this particular moment in time.

Not to be outdone by the man on the opposite flank though, Martinelli wanted a headline or two and his – the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches – was written the second his curling shot left his boot. It was a fabulous finish and he will be very pleased with his efforts on the night, especially given he was the player in the pre match press conferences talking about low-block ‘park the bus’ teams in the Premier League. It’s true, but you don’t want to manifest a jinx in those situations, but although I worried he might have tested footballing fate, it was not to be the case and I think that little boost of confidence will be good for him too.

There are so many positives to take from last night. Like Christian Norgaard, for example, who slotted in at centre-half and was pretty good I thought. Or how about Zubimendi, whose cross for Madueke’s headed second goal did all of the heavy-lifting. That Spaniard is a little magician. He anchors our midfield, sure, but he also covers so much ground, his passing range is immense and he just knits everything we do together so well. I love watching him.

Merino was solid in midfield, the back line had a couple of moments in which we were breached, but Brugge couldn’t capitalise, and it’s six from six, just one goal conceded and 17 scored. It’s an impressive haul that now gives Arteta the option of rotating players in future games and in the new year when we might need to sit a few players down to rest, he’ll be able to do that. It’s brilliant stuff.

And I am just glad we now have the bad taste of Villa out of our mouths and can look ahead towards domestic action and hopefully getting a result against Wolves on Saturday night.

Back tomorrow with some more thoughts.