“The clock can’t keep up!” So declared Peter Drury, the ITV commentator, in sheer admiration of Arsenal’s attacking prowess. This was the 28th February 2004 (yes, six whole years ago), and under the clouds at Highbury, Thierry Henry was wheeling away in celebration after doubling Arsenal’s lead against Charlton following Robert Pires’ second-minute opener. The camera zoomed in close on the iconic timepiece set above the delighted supporters. It read 3.04pm.

It was no isolated experience. Think Leeds at home. Think Sp*rs away. This was the sort of devastating statement Arsenal regularly made as they steamed on towards an unbeaten Premier League title, led by impatient characters of the likes of Henry, Pires and Ljungberg.

Wouldn’t it be satisfying to see today’s crop of Gunners emulate such electric starts against Porto next Tuesday? Are they up to the task? Much was said about the tribulations at the Dragao, but what’s done is done, and the team have to overturn a knockout stage first-leg deficit – a challenge that, since the second group stage was eradicated from the Champions League in 2003, Arsenal have taken on three times and failed on each occasion.

Against Bayern Munich in 2004/05, the game was more or less lost before the return leg at Highbury, with a 3-1 beating in Germany. In a frustrating return leg against PSV Eindhoven three years back, we huffed and puffed to equalise their 1-0 advantage, but the breakthrough came too late to build momentum, and Alex, soon to join Chelsea, cancelled out his own-goal by striking at the other and eliminating our challenge in the process. And against United ten months ago, we tried again to force the issue but barely drew breath before our task was made thrice as hard.

An early goal (for the right team) this time around would make Arsenal’s job thereafter a relatively straightforward one, with that vital away goal in hand. The trouble is, this is something the team have struggled to achieve so far this season – fast breakthroughs are indeed a rarity. Of our 91 strikes in all competitions, only seven have come in the first 20 minutes of a match (half as much as the 14 at this stage of the season in the unbeaten year, despite scoring 11 more goals). Of these seven, just one has come in the first ten minutes, and two have been equalisers – which, we pray, won’t be required against Porto.

Too often in this campaign we have tip-toed into matches and only found our rhythm midway through the first half. But that won’t do if the team are to settle the nerves of their fans which are sure to be a feature of a high-octane European night in London. Rosicky and Nasri were the cautions choice for Wenger to support Bendtner in Portugal. It was good, however, to see Walcott make a genuine impact the weekend after against Sunderland, and assuming fitness, he and Arshavin will have to start at home and take on Porto’s vulnerable full backs with pace from the off.

In reality, it won’t matter how the goals go in on the night so long as they do. How heartening it will be, though, if we fly out of the traps, a la the Arsenal of 2003/04, and make that early breakthrough. Perhaps we could practice against Burnley on Saturday. With a 4-0 demolition Porto’s last souvenir of a trip to the Grove, an inevitably effervescent atmosphere, and a lightning start from a side with their share of points to prove, the quiet confidence we have about the return leg should be vindicated - rather than going the same way as that game against PSV.