Reiss Nelson's shot hit the net, and the Emirates Stadium exploded — limbs flying, bodies hurled together, grown men weeping and a child on the pitch.
This is a club that has won 13 league titles and 14 FA Cups, that has loved and lost a stadium. And yet as fans belatedly left the ground, still reeling from the drama of the moment, few could recall such a violent outpouring of emotion.
Was there some recency bias? Undoubtedly. But this was a remarkable game — one in which Arsenal fell behind after just nine seconds, only to overcome a two-goal deficit and win it in the 97th minute. It was a result that preserved the team's five-point lead at the top of the table and their improbable title challenge on course.
Consider that Arsenal are doing this with one of the youngest first-team groups in the Premier League. Only Southampton, in the relegation zone, have a younger team or manager. These are special circumstances indeed.
And this is a special team, too. Not in terms of what they've won — not yet, anyway. They're special because of the intense bond they have forged with their supporters. In the highly commercial, morally complex world of modern football, that is not easily done. Yet this is undeniably a stadium transformed, a club reinvigorated. Mikel Arteta has imposed his fiery temperament upon north London. What was once mocked as the stale successor to the Highbury Library is now the stage for operatic expressions of raw emotion.
Arsenal supporters and players did not expect to be in this position, and it shows. There is delight, there is anxiety, and there is an abundance of joy. The novelty of the title race has yet to wear off, the nerves have yet to settle. A generation of players and fans are living this for the first time, and living every second. It is a red-and-white-knuckle ride.
The Nelson moment feels unmatched, the crest of this wave of building emotion. In terms of last-gasp drama, Arsenal have never seen the like before.
Except they have. In the first month of the season, there was an 86th-minute winner against Fulham. January brought a 90th-minute winner against Manchester United. Just a fortnight ago, there was that 93rd-minute winner against Aston Villa. Jorginho's shot cannoned off the bar and into the net via the time-wasting Emi Martinez's face, a moment of such sublime karmic beauty that it seemed impossible to top.
But Arsenal are developing a habit of making the impossible possible. They do not seem to know when they are beaten. For all the criticisms and concerns over their collective inexperience, what's overlooked is that Arsenal's relative naivety appears to come coupled with an utter fearlessness.
And the crowd is part of that. In the team's darkest moments, the fans have lifted them. Cynicism has been replaced by optimism. Optimism is crystallising into belief. Underpinning it all is love: the fans adore this team.
This symbiotic relationship between supporters and team has built slowly, and there have been countless catalysts along the way. The end of lockdown introduced fresh faces to the ground, replete with a renewed appetite for the spectacle of live football.
It is difficult not to fall in love with a team that includes Bukayo Saka. In a game which is not always discerning about elevating role models, can there be a better one than this 21-year-old? The A* student with the astonishing talent and dauntless demeanour. The name Bukayo was chosen by his grandmother — it comes from the Nigerian Yoruba language and means to bring joy. Arsenal fans will feel it could not be more apt.
Bukayo Saka after missing a chance against Bournemouth (Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Nelson emerged from the academy to re-establish the club's core identity — a sense of what it is to be Arsenal. In an age when the financial disparity between players and supporters continues to grow, that shared feeling of belonging is all the more valuable.
New signings have played their part. Aaron Ramsdale strutted into a sombre stadium and reminded these fans that football was supposed to be fun; Ben White brought a boyish sense of mischief; Martin Odegaard is a playmaker-turned-cheerleader, whirring his arms above his head as if he expects the Emirates Stadium to lift off into the air.
Arsenal deserve huge credit for the atmosphere and environment they have built. Something which appears organic has actually been carefully cultivated. Arteta has been at the heart of that process, determined to turn the home ground into a fortress and a sanctuary.
The club have supported a number of fan initiatives, from the design and production of huge North Bank banners, to the growth and expansion of the Clock End's Ashburton Army.
The faded facade of the Emirates Stadium has been replaced by vibrant, colourful images of Arsenal's past and present. They are emblematic of this reinvigorated romance — the renewal of vows that has taken place between club and supporters.
And so, where do Arsenal go from here? Could there be an even more emotional moment to come in May?
That remains to be seen, and their sternest tests may lie ahead. This tornado of passion has played its part in carrying Arsenal, but it also threatens to be exhausting. There is little that feels cool or calculating about this club right now.
The greatest threat to Arsenal's title hopes could well be an element of emotional fatigue. The Nelson moment was sensational, but many managers would prefer the serenity of a comfortable 2-0 victory. There is a danger that Arsenal arrive at the run-in already feeling like they've played in half a dozen finals. How these young players handle that is one of the remaining unknowns of the season.
And the longer they stay in the race, the more they all want it. There are two teams in the race for the Premier League, but Arsenal feel like the one truly fighting for it.
Until now it has been a case of Arsenal “might” win the title, or “could” win the title, but it will surely not be long before players and fans alike feel they have to win the title — to make these moments matter all the more, to enshrine them for eternity.
They have to win it — to prove that Manchester City are conquerable, and to capitalise on the moment. It's entirely possible that before long there will be three nation states fighting it out at the top of the Premier League. The vast investment of Stan Kroenke is no fairytale, but it has at least produced a compelling sporting narrative. And somehow, all this feeling. All this emotion.
If they succeed, the euphoria may top anything in supporters' recent memories. If they come up short, then millions of Arsenal hearts might well break.
But at least they have lived it and felt it. The heart of this proud club is beating loudly once again.