What a day, the sun, the atmosphere, the football, the knowledge that Arsenal have booked a place at Wembley for the first time since...well lets not go into that, lets just focus on the positives.
Few will have predicted the manner in which we swept Everton aside, 4-1, 4-1!!! This is an Everton side who outplayed us for large parts of last year's fixture at the Emirates, who fought hard for a 1-1 draw and deserved the point.
However different day, different circumstance and Arsenal were back to their irresistible best.
Being the Cup, Arsene decided to rest some players, those whose form is crucial to our league success, whilst replacements like Fabianski for Szczesny are customary Wenger rotations in cup competition.
Given that Szczesny is suspended for our next match in Munich it made sense to give the other Pole in the Goal more game time ahead of what is likely to be the biggest game of his careeer. If we are to cause one of the biggest upsets in European football on Tuesday then we have to have everyone on top form so it made sense to keep Fabianski in the starting line-up.
Another start for our promising French starlet Yaya Sanogo whose inclusion from the first whistle was probably intended to give Giroud less work to do, leaving him fresher for our clash in Munich, whilst Vermaelen's welcome inclusion to the back four enabled Koscielny to recuperate following a small injury.
Apart from those changes this was an Arsenal team set up to win, no more mister nice guy when it comes to the FA Cup. Perhaps Wenger secretly knows this is our best chance at silverware for a decade. Let's hope for a massive upset. Can Wigan repeat their dominant display against City? Let's hope so as that would surely leave us favourites to take home the title.
As for the game, the first half was a little cagey, with Everton keen to press high up the pitch, especially with a side revitalised by the return of Lukaku.
Despite feeling some early pressure, it was Arsenal who struck first on the counterattack. Santi Cazorla broke through the challenge of McCarthy in midfield and whilst running full pelt at Everton's goal managed to play an inch perfect pass through to Ozil whose first time side-footed finish left reserve goalkeeper Joel Robles little chance.
Ozil really was outstanding and you can't help but feel that he is a player who is suffering at the hands of journalists whose trigger fingers have been resting on the side of their six-shooter ever since the move was announced.
He is Arsenal's all time most expensive signing, smashing our transfer record to shreds, so despite his abundance of assists this season because he has made a few errors and looked a little tired in his first season in the premier league he has been dubbed a disappointment.
Well here's your answer ladies and gentlemen of the press. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. A goal, an assist and some sterling defensive work, Ozil was all over the pitch covering every blade of grass and showing the class to make the most of nearly every opportunity that came his way.
This is Ozil's first season in the toughest league in the world, imagine what he's capable of once he's fully settled...
After our goal, Arsenal pressed for a second but to no avail. Driving shots from the Ox, Sanogo and Vermaelen were saved by Robles who kept the visitors within touch of Arsenal when we threatened to pull away.
The goalkeeper's heroics were rewarded when close to the end of the first half Everton struck back through Lukaku. After an Arsenal corner Everton broke with speed and accuracy, freeing up the ever dangerous Ross Barkley to put in a low curling cross that dissected the 6 yard line. Everton were a little fortunate that Mirallas' poor touch fell to Lukaku who had all the time in the world to thump the ball into the net.
A little dejected, Arsenal left the field at half time to an applause which felt a little half-hearted, Arsenal fans clearly having had the wind taken out of their sails after such a promising start.
The second half began in much the same way as the first had ended, cagey and with little separating the two sides. It would take a moment of carelessness from Everton's Gareth Barry to give Arsenal the chance to go ahead.
Having momentarily lost control of the ball close to the touchline, the Ox recovered possession and with a deft stepover took the ball past Barry who lazily stuck out a leg and felled the Arsenal winger.
Considering Ozil's obvious penchant for shite penalties it was great to see Arteta step up to the spot. Depsite burying the first effort, referee Mark Clattenburg penalised Giroud for encroachment and made Arteta take the penalty again.
At the time the crowd was incredulous and sensed a conspiracy, however watching again on TV Giroud did appear to take a headstart into the box and anyway Arteta's second penalty was even more emphatic than the first, smashing it into the top right hand corner.
Smelling blood, Wenger acted quickly, bringing on Rosicky and Giroud for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanogo, a rare example of Wenger making substitutions when the game necessitated rather than adhering to some Newtonian formula.
Both player's impact was immediate and Rosicky was involved in the build up for another classic Arsenal goal. We played four one touch passes to take the ball from the half-way line and into the goal, the final pass played between Ozil and Giroud whose blossoming relationship will soon feature a 6 page spread in OK! magazine.
That added to Giroud's first, a good finish from a Sagna cross, signalled that the floodgates had officially opened and Arsenal finished with a resounding victory, two goals for the Frenchman and his second brace in a fortnight yeehhaaaw!
Off to Wembley we march, a semi-final against a team to be decided by today's fixtures. Either way we've got an epic day out to look forward to, The Lovely Reds will see you there...
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