Well, have we all recovered from Tuesday night?

It was an exhausting evening in a pulsating tie but thankfully, we made it to the last eight of the Champions League.

We now have a 19 day break in which we can revel in the fact that we are not only still in Europe’s elite competition, but also top of the Premier League!

But for the match-going fan, things are about to get hectic.

The draw can’t come soon enough but will no doubt bring about stress, anxiety and inevitable frustrations.

It is though, what we live for.

As the clock strikes 11am on Friday, many of us will be anxiously sitting and waiting to find out where we could be heading in April.

Flight comparison websites will be open containing tabs to all available destinations in a desperate attempt to beat the inevitable price hike, while credit cards will be sat next to laptops waiting to be maxed out.

Get the flights booked, worry about tickets and holiday requests later! 

It is a buzz though that can’t be replicated.

An opportunity to watch your team not only across the continent, but in and amongst Europe’s elite.

The group stage trips are fabulous, but they don’t come with the same intensity or decisiveness that make up the knock-out rounds. 

Although the last-16 trip to Porto was exceptional, there is something about the quarter-finals that really sets things apart.

This is the business end of the season, a time where players have the chance to become legends at the club. We want to be there to witness it. 

The days that precede the draw are exciting.

It is the unknown that whets the appetite.

It has the potential to be both incredible and hugely disappointing.

Could we face a glamour tie to the Bernabeu? An historic venue that is on the bucket lists of all supporters. Perhaps a trip to Dortmund to witness and be serenaded by the famous Yellow Wall - or even a chance to get revenge over Barcelona for all the years of hurt they imparted on us. Four exciting options.

Yet there is still the chance that we could end up facing Manchester City in a tie that would no doubt under-whelm the majority.

It is a far cry from the potential warm weather and exciting opportunities that the other options come with.

Logistically it may be easier, but let’s be honest, no one wants to go up there.

Following Arsenal domestically is something that we all love.

Doing it in Europe is another thing altogether.

The belief is there that this side can do something special this season. We may have been taken the full distance by Porto, but overcoming a knock-out game in Europe was a psychological hurdle that we needed to get over. Having now done so, it’s time to kick on and show we truly belong on the biggest stage. 

So whatever the draw, and whoever the opponent, let’s welcome it with open arms.

Friday can’t come soon enough.

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