It was a goalfest alright, although not quite the stress-free riot the final scoreline suggests. It was a delight to see Arsenal’s attacking football in full flow, and especially pleasing to see Arshavin and Nasri take players on and beat them, leading to the second and third goals. It’s a side of their game the players do not show enough of for my liking. They have the talent to beat their man but so often choose to pass instead. Sometimes, just running at defenders and dribbling through them can cause absolute havoc. More of this please.

Nicklas Bendtner’s first two goals were a case of being in the right place at the right time, playing like a centre-forward should. Boy, have we missed that. On Saturday against Burnley, he had a bad day when it came to finishing, but his all round play was good and gave the team some shape. He drifts a little, but he has learned to do this intelligently. Remembering how poor his first touch used to be, there seems little doubt he has developed as a footballer in a way that many never believed he could, and I count myself in that number. And when it comes to Arsenal winning, I am delighted to eat humble pie. I hope to be shovelling it down in large doses between now and the end of May. I Skyplussed (interesting how new verbs develop in the English language!) the 30 minute highlights show of the two Champions League matches last night, and watching it, I saw Ruud Gullit express his desire that he hoped Arsene would prove us wrong – that he can win something with this team and overcome sides built along more traditional lines.

It’s definitely an experiment, one Wenger would argue is a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Largely rejecting the transfer market when it come to players over the age of 23 and developing a team in-house that is good enough to beat those that spend much more and utilise greater experience. The other thing that makes Arsenal something a bit different in recent seasons is the philosophy of constantly trying to attack and prizing possession of the ball in even the most risky of circumstances. It does seem to be a recipe for disaster when dangerous passes are made in their own half, as individual errors often lead to opposition chances. In truth, Porto were presented with a fair number of very promising situations in the second leg, but a last ditch tackle often quelled the danger. All the same, it played havoc on the nerves knowing that a Porto goal would open things up completely.

Once Arsenal scored early, I knew they’d need three goals to give themselves some kind of safety margin. If the score had been 2-0 going into the final ten minutes, I suspect we might have seen extra time. But Arsenal’s creative play was exceptional, and they proved an irresistible force. Given that there was only one other Champions League game last night (Fiorentina v Bayern) many TV screens around Europe would have been tuned in to see this Gunners’ performance and they certainly took the chance to impress.

Doubtless the bookies’ odds on Arsenal winning this trophy in Madrid have shortened since last night. However, much as I enjoyed seeing them win 5-0, the sloppiness in possession in their own half did not fill me with any more optimism than I had before the kick off that Wenger will land the big one on 22nd May. It would be remarkable if such a lack of concentration were not punished by better sides than Porto.

On a lighter note, an email received from Gooner contributor Rich Stevenson before the game kicked off last night read as follows - Given Nicklas Bendtner’s unique ability to choke and bomb in front of goal can The Gooner officially nickname him "Bomber." It's his own fault for choosing number 52 and the obvious abbreviation B-52. Well, if a week is a long time in politics, then what can you say about 90 minutes in football, eh? Robin van who?

To finish, charity plug time. For those that aren’t aware and haven’t caught him doing training laps of the stadium, Michael ‘Shirts’/’Beret’ Farmer is doing the Be a Gunner, Be a Runner GOSH fundraising ten laps of the stadium on Saturday. He’s been joined in his sponsorship drive by Ruby Dixon. So this is basically a simple appeal to add to their pot and contribute to a worthy cause to acknowledge their efforts. Sponsorship is through their justgiving page, where you can watch a video of Michael re-enacting a certain Thierry Henry goal v Spurs on the very same Highbury pitch. Plug over. Hope you raise lots of money for the unfortunate kids who have to spend time in Great Ormond Street.