The win over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday wasn't pretty, it wasn't Arsenal at their flowing best and ultimately it won't live that long in the memory. However, it was vital for the team ahead of three difficult fixtures in the Premier League, and also to lift the mood that had befallen over the Emirates in the last week.
Arsene Wenger had to make changes to the teams that lost to Norwich and Schalke, and he was able to call on Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna from the start after long-term injuries. Both were expected to make their first team returns on Tuesday in the Capital One Cup at Reading, but it's testament to the hard work of the duo to get back into the starting XI slightly ahead of schedule. The return was probably advanced by Wenger knowing that he needed to freshen up the team, but both players looked comfortable and far from a risk.
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Wilshere managed 67 minutes, which after 17 months out, is an excellent shift for a first appearance. In the first half, he showed glimpses of what the team has been missing in the defeats in the last week. He was getting his head up and always looking to move the play forward. There were some breaks towards goal to try and get in the box and there was a quickening of the tempo to help the team create chances. One of the reasons Arsenal have failed to do that recently is because the defending team have been allowed time to get themselves organised as Arsenal have tended to slow attacks down. With Wilshere in the team, his passing can stretch opponents more and he can drive forward from a deeper midfield position to give more options around the box.
I doubt Wilshere will start at Reading, with the temptation now being to save him for Old Trafford next weekend. The midfield trio of Arteta, Wilshere and Cazorla might lack something in height, but there is a lot of creative talent in there. After finally all playing together for the first time on Saturday, hopefully Wilshere can stay fit enough to get a run of games and link up well with the two Spaniards.
The other key player to return was Bacary Sagna. He broke his leg twice last season, but after suffering the second one in May, to come back in less than six months is very impressive. Carl Jenkinson has had a much better season than any Arsenal fan could have expected, but Sagna is definitely one of the best full backs in the Premier League.
Against QPR, like Wilshere, he showed his fitness was good by getting up and down the pitch for the full 90 minutes. Sagna's crossing has improved immensely since he first joined the club, and Olivier Giroud should get some more chances from having Sagna in the team. Jenkinson has done well this season, but the Frenchman is good at hitting early crosses, giving attackers a head start on centrebacks in the middle.
Defensively, Sagna remains solid. His greater experience to Jenkinson came through in the second-half against QPR. After the ball went over the top of Mertesacker and Vermaelen, Sagna covered around brilliantly from the right, effectively becoming a sweeper, to make a vital tackle on Hoilett when he was going to be one-on-one with goalkeeper Mannone.
With both Sagna and Wilshere, Arsene Wenger has made sure that they had plenty of games for the Under 21's to regain fitness. That work looks to have paid off as both players didn't look hesitant or rusty, despite being out of the first team for so long.
The win wasn't perfect, but it was a step in the right direction. Wilshere and Sagna haven't suffered the scars of defeats this season that other members of the squad have, and they definitely freshened the team up on Saturday. It's going to be another challenging week, but Arsenal fans can be more positive going into it.