At the final whistle of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, every person around me looked exhausted. We weren’t the ones who had been running up and down the pitch for 96 minutes, but it sure felt like it.
Some of this emotion came from relief, from the excitement of two late goals, and the significance of Max Dowman's first in the Premier League. However, a lot of it came from producing an atmosphere that the Emirates has been crying out for for weeks.
As Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Everton side, who have an excellent record away from home, the stadium could have resigned itself to a draw. There is sometimes a lull that comes over the Emirates when the Gunners are playing a team they should be beating, but are struggling to create much to cheer about.
This didn't happen on Saturday.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment, but the stadium simply came alive in about the 65th minute. It's often sparked by a big tackle, or winning the ball back high up the pitch. This time, though, it felt like a collective recognition that our team needed something extra.
For weeks, the Arsenal crowd has been called nervous, with suggestions it is even making the players nervous too. If this is the case, then the crowd on Saturday was electric and, therefore, the players became electric too.
The difference this week was also that the noise, which can often tip over into desperation and frustration, was positive. It was celebratory and willing the players on, not chastising them for the position they found themselves in.
The scenes in the stands for both goals were representative not just of elation that the team had gone ahead, but that we had also played a part.
With the title agonisingly close, it could not be a more important time to find and keep our 12th man.
Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast
