EDUARDO GALEANO, Uruguayan writer, journalist and political activist, celebrated the joy football brings. 

Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s earlier this week was marked by a feeling Galeano would know well, but one that has been missing recently among long-suffering Gunners supporters: joy, deep joy, as Mikel Arteta’s vibrant side gained revenge of sorts in the south coast rain for their FA Cup defeat by the Saints last weekend. 

In a difficult season punctuated by frustrating defeats and an alarming run of poor form during the dark days of November and December, the north Londoners were fired by exuberant probing from Hale End graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka — who became only the second English teenager to score in successive league games for the club since Ashley Cole — with the team also boosted by goals from record-signing Nicolas Pepe and striker Alexandre Lacazette. 

For a side that had lacked coherence in the heart of battle during their dreadful pre-Christmas run, Arteta’s midfield has solidified greatly by the astute addition of Thomas Partey, not to mention pleasing support from Cedric Soares and Rob Holding in defence. As a consequence Arsenal eased to victory, climbing to within five points of West Ham in the heady heights of fourth place. 

Of course there is a long way to go to get the Gunners back to their former heights, but at least we can put away those infernal “Arteta Out” T-shirts for now. 

The return of Arsenal v Man Utd 

Arsenal v Manchester United is back. Mouthwatering anticipation has returned to the clash that used to stop the world. While ninth against second in the Premier League is not the most enticing game on paper, these two grand old giants, floundering in the doldrums for far too long, now have a spring in their step once again.

Genuine optimism flourishes, thanks to the pair of progressive young managers and former players, at the helm of these giants, via, admittedly, a steep learning curve that is still ongoing. 

Arteta and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might not have the weighty resonance of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, but they are once again giving hope to fans — even if the fresh-faced pair are management apprentices compared to the legendary latter duo.

Who can forget the passion that so consumed the urbane Frenchman, and obsessed the lifelong Govan socialist — so much so, that at the time of their peak enmity, it was fair to say they hated each other. Literally hated each other. And so did their players. 

No-one who witnessed those fierce conflicts at long-lost Highbury and Old Trafford would ever forget the events that unfolded when the pair were kings, in a fixture fuelled by a rivalry so bitter, Wenger once proclaimed he would never utter the Scot’s name again. 

Their captains on the battlefield felt the same way. Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams and Gary Neville. The names still spoken with reverence, and no little wonderment, by true believers, as if they were incanting a litany of fabled warriors. And who could ever forget Martin Keown’s reaction to Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Dutchman missed “that” penalty in 2003, as the Gunners marched to immortality via invincibility? 

Between 1995 and 2006 the Gunners and the Red Devils met 29 times, with every game having a major bearing on silverware. Ultimately United won the war, which included their historic treble in 1999, their momentous run-in sparked by that never-to-be-forgotten FA Cup semi-final replay victory at Villa Park, settled by Ryan Giggs’s run through the heart of a tiring Gunners backline, in a match that will be talked about as long as the game itself exists. 

Yet Arsenal, for their part, clinched many memorable battles during that time, including winning the league title at Old Trafford in 2002 and eclipsing United in the 2005 FA Cup final at Cardiff. 

However, all things pass, and the fixture fell into a slump, as did the clubs. Neither are anywhere near to reaching past glories — but for the first time in more than a decade there is genuine excitement around this fixture. And hope. 

Despite the Red Devils’ shock defeat at the hands of Sheffield United this week, Solskjaer’s side are on the up. As is Arteta’s Arsenal.

It’s no surprise the clubs prefer long-term solutions rather than a short-term fix, looking at the changes at Stamford Bridge this week with bemusement — as Chelsea dispensed of a promising young manager and former player, by sacking Blues legend Frank Lampard and replacing him with Thomas Tuchel. 

With five league wins in six, Gooners are finally feeling excited again. If you factor in the joyous growth of Hale End youngsters at Arsenal, hopes are high for a cracking game of football at the Emirates this evening. 

No wonder the young guns’ unbridled goal celebrations at Southampton this week prompted memories of a line the imperious Galeano wrote of a Uruguayan footballer: “He played joyfully and his joy was infectious: the joy of the play, the joy of the goal.” Let’s hope for more of the same in N5 this weekend.