Watching Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere in the English Premier League game against West Brom, it was obvious that old burst of speed and the confidence was back.
Wilshere has been hailed as both Arsenal's and England's savior, with praises coming in thick and fast while he was out recuperating from an injury which kept him on the sidelines for 17 months.
It is hard for any player, let alone a 20-year-old with only a full season behind him, to live up to such expectations. Everyone, for some inexplicable reason, expected Wilshere to be the same player who had such a bright season for the Gunners in 2010-11, immediately after his comeback.
But being out for 17 months is not a small thing. It always takes time and patience to get back to your best after such a long layoff. Wenger kept imploring everyone involved to not put too much pressure on his player; to wait, let him bed himself in, and find that confidence essential to perform at the highest level.
After a brilliant debut match, Wilshere found it hard to be his old self for the next few games, with critics immediately questioning whether he would ever be as good as they expected. The game against West Brom provided the answer -- emphatically.
Wilshere was a lot like his old self again - demanding the ball, making those forward runs, with that initial burst of pace, and finding the right passes. Arsenal's No. 10 had come to the fore on Saturday, and it was pure joy to watch.
"I have still to be cautious, but Saturday was the first time I have seen him very, very close to the player he is," Wenger said. "Yes (we've got) our young old Jack back.
"We have to see if he has no reaction but it was good to leave at home in midweek (for the Champions League game against Olympiakos). To give him a breather from time to time, maybe two, three games and then one breather maybe.
"But when he plays at that level, and you are under the pressure we are under to win the games, it is difficult to leave him out.
"He won balls when he closes down and he made a difference running with the ball. It is important in the middle of the park to be capable of passing people to create openings. He can do that.
"No (he is not at his best yet) but he is not far away on what he has done on Saturday."
So the best is yet to come from the precociously talented midfielder, who himself feels better with every passing game. "(With) every game that goes past, I feel better and better fitness-wise," Wilshere said. "When I get up to 100 percent fitness, I can really show what I can do.
"Basically, it's a totally new team from when I played before. It was always going to take some time, and it will still take some time. The more games that go past, the better I think we'll get.
"It's a new experience for me. It was my first injury so I didn't really know what to expect. I spoke to a few players who have had long-term injuries and they said you come back, have a good game and think 'I'm back.' Then you have another one where you're not so good.
"I think the first few games, my adrenaline got me through and I was so up for it. Then you start to realise it's not as simple as that, and things start catching up on you. I feel like I'm getting back to my best."
Arsenal's midfield trio of Mikel Arteta, Wilshere and Santi Cazorla is a dream on paper, but have not quite gelled consistently on the pitch. Wilshere, however, has no doubts that they will eventually come good.
"He's (Arteta's) great," Wilshere added. "Tactically his positioning is probably the best around. He's an older player, so he's great for the younger players to talk to on and off the pitch.
"I speak to him during the game. I say 'Mikel if you want to go forward, I can sit.' It's quite a good understanding. He knows I want to get forward and try and get on the scoresheet. He's the same.
"At Everton, he was our most attacking midfielder. I think it's a bit of both. But I think he lets me go (forward) a bit more than he does.
"With Santi in front of us, and me and Mikel getting forward, I think it can really blossom over the next few months."
