The first time Jack Collison pulled on a West Ham United shirt at the Emirates Stadium, he was an unknown 19-year-old making his Premier League debut. This Saturday, the midfielder will return to Arsenal as a regular in Gianfranco Zola's in-form side and a full Wales international.
Now a relative veteran of 15 league and FA Cup appearances, Collison is confident that Zola's team can gain revenge for the 2-0 defeat they suffered on his first ever appearance in claret and blue. With United on a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions - capped with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Hull City on Wednesday evening - and having not tasted defeat on their travels since 29 October, that confidence is well-founded.
"We're on a really good run of results and we don't want to stop that. We've had good results away at Liverpool [drawing 0-0] and Chelsea [drawing 1-1] this season and we're going to look to go one better and get all three points at Arsenal. I don't see any reason, playing the way we are at the moment, why we can't do that."
Collison was one of a whole host of players who produced the goods during Wednesday evening's home victory over Phil Brown's Tigers. The 20-year-old was involved in many of the hosts' best moments, including a flowing 40th-minute move that saw him crash David Di Michele's cross against the post - one of four occasions on which the Hammers hit the woodwork.
While the team's performance left the home supporters leaving the Boleyn Ground purring with pleasure, a typically modest Collison insisted there was more to come from him and his team-mates. The youngster also reserved praise for manager Zola and his coaching staff for the exciting, entertaining brand of football the team is now producing on a regular basis.
"It was a good performance, but I thought we were superb a couple of weeks ago against Fulham. Obviously it's nice when you're playing well, getting results and really pushing up the table and looking ahead of us. The manager and his staff have come in with their ideas and the boys have adapted and there is a real buzz about the place at the moment. Every time we go out on the pitch we are confident and feel like we can take points out of every game we play in."
That confidence is clear not only in Collison but also his midfield cohorts Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Valon Behrami. The quartet have started six of the last seven Premier League matches, with Noble's absence from the 2-1 win over Stoke City the only time during that span when the group has not all been involved from the kick-off.
Collison believes that continuity has been key to the understanding the four now have in each others' games. The youngster also alluded to the belief that manager Zola has instilled in them both individually and collectively, belief that has seen Parker in imperious form in front of the back-four and Noble, Behrami and Collison himself all find themselves on the scoresheet in recent weeks.
"The midfield has been brilliant. It's been quite settled over the past few weeks and that's made a difference. The manager has given us the freedom to go out there and express ourselves and that's given us confidence. It's made a really big difference. When you've got experienced players like Scotty Parker in there and then the youth of myself, Nobes and Valon, it's working well for the team."
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