YES. YES. YES. What a huge three points that was at West Ham on Sunday.

Nervy, gritty, and at times just horrible - but none of that matters.

Three points again, fourth again.

It’s May, and fourth is still in our hands. With Europa League football guaranteed, whatever happens from now Mikel Arteta has worked miracles with this side.

Despite the injuries, internal problems, and significant lack of depth (which is partially his fault) - Arteta has Arsenal sat in fourth, in May.

Lose three on the bounce to Palace, Brighton and Southampton, and then beat Chelsea, United, and West Ham. Only Arsenal. There’s something in this squad though, something in this manager - we just won’t lie down. 

Another short journey, and this time it was to East London. In a strange way I prefer going a bit further afield - it makes me feel like more of a proper fan.

Not having to leave so early is also nice though, so swings and roundabouts really. I think I messed the journey up a little bit, getting off at Stratford and ignoring the swathes of people getting off at Hackney Wick was retrospectively a poor decision. It was quite a walk from Stratford, having to go right round Westfield instead of through, and then the away end was a bit of a walk away once I got to the ground. A logistically poor performance from me, disappointing really.

I made it to my seat, and a strange sense of deja vu dawned. I hadn’t been to the stadium since the 2012 Olympics, and it felt really strange to see it again 10 years later as an established Premier League stadium - despite seeing it numerous times on TV, it always feels different in person.

It’s a horrible ground to be honest, especially if you’re in the ‘upper’ tier. You’re miles away from the pitch, going more horizontally up than vertically. It’s incredibly hard to see what’s going on down the other end, and the gap in between the upper and lower tier that is just empty space really makes it feels like the ground is missing something. It’s a strangely unaddressed issue in their ground, and with solution could increase the capacity and improve the atmosphere no end. 

The nerves were tangible in the crowd again. There was an unusual hush in the away end, but with five games to go and every game equally as meaningful, nerves are bound to start to creep in.

The players were nervous too, again. Misplaced passes, and a familiar chaotic energy meant that these nerves remained. The game changed in the 38th minute, and fittingly it came from a set piece - it wasn’t a game that looked like it might produce a beautifully crafted goal. Rob Holding rose highest to score his first Premier League goal.

The away end erupted. The nerves briefly evaporated, and the celebrations were rapturous - if short lived. Whatever you do, hold this until the half, please. Nope. Right on the stroke of HT, some characteristically calamitous defensive positioning from Tavares allowed Coufal to cross for Bowen to fire a deflected strike past Ramsdale.

HT, 1-1 and we were playing really poorly. West Ham controlled the majority of the first half, and we looked like the team that had fought their hearts out on Thursday night. 

We controlled the second half more, and managed to suck some of the chaos out of the game. Elneny and Xhaka began to boss proceedings, and our front four started to get into the game a lot more.

Nine minutes into the half, we took the lead again, and again it came from a set piece. Saka’s initial corner was headed out, but the ball came to Martinelli, who picked out Gabriel to crane his head back and power it beyond a helpless Fabianski. 2-1, and another huge goal in this ever-changing top four race.

There was no hush in the away end now, and we all recognised that we’d need to be much more vocal if we were to see it out. West Ham came at us as you’d expect, but the defence saw off their advances with very little difficulty. We should really have got a third, Nketiah had a couple of really good chances on the break to kill the game off. Instead, it was another nervy finish.

We saw it out though, just, and the rapturous celebrations resumed - like they’d never stopped. 

What a result.

We “won ugly”, as Arteta referenced, but we won - and we really had to win.

The job is nowhere near finished, but it’s edging ever closer. Ideally we will play a game where my Fitbit doesn’t class every single minute of it as ‘Intense Activity’, but if we keep winning I’ll happily sacrifice a healthy heart.

Next weekend is big, there’s every chance we go into that NLD five points ahead of them, and then we’d only really need a draw.

I’m trying desperately not to get ahead of myself, but it’s really hard.

Let’s beat Leeds first. Until then, Gunners…