When Mikel Arteta was hired by Arsenal six years ago, the idea of a night like this against Real Madrid would have been nothing but a dream.
On the day Arteta was appointed, Arsenal were 10th in the Premier League and in the middle of their third season without Champions League football.
But fast forward to now and the Gunners have just outplayed Real Madrid on a night that will surely go down as the greatest since Emirates Stadium opened in 2006.
It has not been an easy road to this point, but this was a night for Arsenal - and in particular Arteta - to savour.
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The Spaniard has faced so many challenges during the first job of his managerial career and this season has proved especially testing.
Injuries, suspensions and a lack of January signings have all played their part, but when it mattered most Arteta was able to put all that to one side and deliver.
The Arsenal manager got all his big calls right against Real Madrid to secure one of the biggest wins of his managerial career.
Arteta guided Arsenal to FA Cup glory in his first season in charge, but Tuesday’s 3-0 heroics were right up there and surely silenced any lingering doubters.
Jakub Kiwior rewarded Arteta’s trust in him and put in a solid display at centre-back in the absence of Gabriel.
Arteta could have turned to Ben White, who has only just returned after a knee injury, but he went with Kiwior and kept changes in the defence to a minimum.
It paid off and Arsenal’s backline was able to keep Real Madrid’s stellar forwards quiet for much of this first leg.
Arteta’s faith in Mikel Merino, the scorer of Arsenal’s third, was also rewarded.
He may have been tempted to give Leandro Trossard the nod upfront after he scored at Everton on Saturday. But Arteta stuck to his guns and Merino scored his sixth goal in 10 games since he was transformed into an stand-in striker.
Arteta has had some whacky ideas during his time at Arsenal, but converting Merino into a striker is among the most creative.
It is perhaps his most successful one, though Myles Lewis-Skelly may have something to say about.
Before this season, the 18-year-old had not made his debut. He had come through Arsenal’s academy as a midfielder, but was moved to left-back by Arteta last summer and that decision has proved a masterstroke.
Had it not been for Declan Rice’s two brilliant free-kicks, Lewis-Skelly could easily have been man of the match.
Bukayo Saka would have been a contender for that award as well and the way his comeback has been managed to get him firing for this specific match is another big tick for Arteta.
The Arsenal boss has shown over the past three seasons how he can compete with the best in the Premier League, but this win against Real Madrid showed Arteta can mix it with Europe’s elite.
A victory over Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the Champions League five times, represents a significant scalp and an important step in his journey.
The Arsenal boss even had the “magic moments” he has been craving, courtesy of Rice’s remarkable free-kicks.
Before Tuesday, Rice had gone 338 games for West Ham and Arsenal without scoring a direct free-kick. He then smashed two home in the space of 12 minutes.
When that happens you know it is going to be your night and, after the issues Arsenal have had this season, Arteta was due some good fortune.
He was at pains to play down this win over Real Madrid afterwards, stressing how there is still the second leg to come next week. If anyone can turn it around, then Real Madrid can.
But whatever happens in Spain, this first leg will live long in the memory. Arteta has always said his project at Arsenal will one day go “bang”. It just did.
