Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his players for creating a "beautiful night" as the Gunners marked their return to the Champions League with a 4-0 drubbing of PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates.
Not since a second consecutive 5-1 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in 2017 had the North London giants competed in the top tier of European football, and they were taking on a PSV side revelling in a 26-game unbeaten run.
The Dutch giants had also overcome Arsenal in their most recent meeting during the 2022-23 Europa League group stage - albeit having suffered defeat at the Emirates a week prior - and Arteta's men were a class above Peter Bosz's team on the night.
The hosts needed just eight minutes to break the deadlock through Bukayo Saka's close-range finish, before the Englishman turned provider for Leandro Trossard to pick out the bottom corner with aplomb.
Gabriel Jesus smashed home a third with seven minutes to go in the first half, and while the excitement was minimal in the second half, captain Martin Odegaard increased the Gunners' tally with a thunderous strike from outside the area.
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Speaking to the media after the match, Arteta admitted that he was slightly overcome with emotion when hearing the Champions League anthem, and he hailed his side's "exceptional" work in both boxes.
"I was [emotional], I was really excited about it, I wanted to control it and I don't show that too much, but I was really excited," arsenal.com quotes Arteta as saying in his post-game press conference. "It was a beautiful night.
"Obviously after such a long time, we wanted to produce the right performance to try to win the game, and it was great to see the atmosphere, the Champions League music, everyone was getting a bit emotional before it. We showed especially in both boxes today we were exceptional and that was the difference in the game I think.
"You have to be really analytical to try to improve, but at the same time credit to the boys to play the way they played in certain moments. To score four goals in the Champions League against a team that hasn't lost a single game, credit to them as well."
Owing to their first-half dominance, Arsenal were able to conserve their energy levels in the second half, and Arteta had used up all five of his substitutions by the 76-minute mark.
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One of those alterations saw Emile Smith Rowe introduced for Jesus in the 69th minute to rapturous applause from the Emirates crowd, and the 23-year-old played a big role in Odegaard's second-half strike.
Smith Rowe has been an unused substitute in each of Arsenal's first five Premier League games this term, but Arteta singled him out for special commendation after his impressive cameo.
"We could manage the minutes of some of them, especially because of where they were coming from and with the national teams where they played a lot of minutes. As well, to give players minutes was fully deserved," Arteta added.
"I was really emotional when I saw the reception for Emile as well. He's a player that hasn't played much yet, and to get the reception that he got was well deserved and I'm so happy for him as well."
With Sevilla and Lens playing out a 1-1 draw in the other game in Group B, Arsenal have established a healthy two-point lead at the top of the section and are next in action against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Ben Knapton
