Firstly, a first clean sheet in 15 games; entirely unexpected. And secondly, and with perhaps a glimpse into how Arsenal's first team may develop over the next few years, a quite surprising number of teenagers selected from the start. There was nothing startling in the perfomances of Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli and Nelson (not to mention Maitland-Niles, who had a much better game than last week), but as a message to the more senior players and perhaps to the fans it was interesting.

Mikel Arteta - to nobody's surprise - had been appointed Head Coach the day before; so I'm sure that it would have been almost impossible for him to have had much of an impact on proceedings. I'm also of the opinion that if he didn't know it from sitting on the opposition bench the previous week his view from the stands would have impressed on him the size of the job in hand (here he is speaking with Edu prior to kick-off).

Nonetheless I, for one, throw my support behind him (what choice do we have, frankly?), and hope that his reputation as a man who improves players both tactically and mentally, and as a disciplinarian, bears fruit over the coming months and years. There is certainly work to do with rumours of attitude issues amongst many of the most key players. Perhaps this time we will see the famed 'new manager bounce' that Freddie couldn't give the team, and with Chelsea (twice) and Manchester United up very soon I think that we're going to need it.

As for the game; well Everton, on the back of a win against Chelsea and a draw with United, were extremely disappointing. But I'm prepared to give Arsenal some credit for that, as they kept them comfortably at bay for the entire game and for a change Leno had almost nothing to do. But I suppose that the cost of the clean sheet was that very little happened at the other end of the pitch either. We did see the players at least start to try to move the ball more quickly, but the lack of confidence was there for all to see. But it's a start and I'd hope to see Arteta's influence come through pretty quickly as he has already said two things that really interest me: 

Firstly, about the players: "I don't want them hiding. I want people to take responsibility for their jobs and I want people who deliver passion and energy in the football club. Anyone who doesn't buy into this, or that has a negative effect or whatever, is not good enough for this environment or this culture. There are things to change, absolutely, because they're not performing at the level that we expect them to. I will have to help them and to help them I need to know what's happening; I need to understand how they're feeling, what they're lacking. If I get to reach that point, then I can help them. Then they will trust me and then they will follow me."

And secondly about style of play: "I want the football to be expressive, entertaining. I cannot have a concept of football where everything is based on the opposition (a dig at Emery?). We have to dictate the game. We have to be the ones taking the initiative, and we have to entertain the people coming to watch us. I'm 100 per cent convinced of those things, and I think I could do it."

All music to any Arsenal supporter's ears, I would imagine.

And now, talking of Arsenal supporters; some videos of scenes post-match hit social media on Saturday afternoon - videos of what is perhaps the start of a backlash against the notorious AFTV - a YouTube channel that is a laughing stock amongst fans of other clubs. For those who don't know, AFTV's presenter, Robbie Lyle, gives a platform to a small number of regular interviewees (and now extremely minor celebrities) who are almost always extremely critical of the club and the players. This serves to do three things: 1) stir up resentment and anger amongst other fans, 2) give supporters of other clubs the opportunity to take the mick out of Arsenal and its supporters, and 3) make Robbie a lot of money, as with over one million 'followers' his is the second most monetised YouTube channel in world sport. In other words, he is making money out of his own club's struggles.

Now I could live with much of that; if only Robbie allowed other supporters to give a more positive or balanced view (something that I try to do in my 'somewhat' less read blog). However, he has stopped interviewing the more positive or optimistic because they're not 'click bait'. Controversy means clicks, at the expense of fair reporting.

So when these videos emerged of Arsenal fans chanting: 'Arsenal Fan TV get out of our club' - and I'm sure that this was orchestrated, but nonetheless... I could sympathise with what they were doing. The club is in a poor enough state without Robbie and his cohorts fuelling the fire, and if this is the beginning of the end for AFTV I won't be sorry. I've never watched the channel (except for a bit of research) in any case.

OK, that's more than enough from me. I'd like to write about Liverpool's rise to becoming the best team in the world at this moment, and about the racism that quite staggeringly came out of Tottenham - of all clubs - this weekend, but this post is quite long enough already. But there'll be more from me after Bournemouth, and then the games come thick and fast. But I'll post when I can.

Wishing everyone the compliments of the season. And come on you Gunners!